HR 8h Kitiara and the harperweyr
by slytherinsal
Summary: Kitiara has come back to the Weyr with H'gey in the hopes of Impressing a Green dragon to be his weyrmate in all ways. As always I own none of Pern or Anne McCaffrey's characters. 1-24-2523 to 1-13-2523
1. Chapter 1

_A/N There are spoilers in here to New Girls regarding who Impresses so be aware! however I did promise to post this as the direct follow on from Horgey the Harper so here it is to wait and read later or carry on with now. As you will see by my slightly imprecise numbering code this is in time period 8 of my reckoning. There's four more period 7 stories to come 2 of which spill into period 8. I apologise for not being more efficient or precise._

**Chapter 1**

Kitiara was decidedly nervous.

She had never been so far away from home and parents before; though she had had no more contact with them during her apprenticeship than any other apprentice.

That was not the whole of it; or even the main part.

Kitiara had acknowledged her love for H'gey before he Impressed and was now effectively moving into marriage with him; as they would have been wed had he not Impressed so unexpectedly. Consequently her life would change. And she was not quite sure who she was right now.

She had been Lady Kitiara, granddaughter of Lord Groghe, all her life; and she had cheerfully shed that – with a few shifts in her perceptions – to become Apprentice Kit, with her bunch of friends and looking just like one of the boys. She had almost forgotten that she was not; and certainly the boys had forgotten totally! It had only been her violent infatuation for T'rin that had reminded her that she was a girl.

And she had outgrown that.

She still loved T'rin; most dearly. But she loved him as one might a brother, the way he had always loved her.

Growing up was painful at times; but it brought its own rewards too, like more certainty and self assurance. Most of the time, anyway! Certainly as Lady Kitiara she lacked no confidence; Kit grinned as she remembered the reactions of H'gey's paying students, stuck up tunnel snakes some of them. She had outranked and out dressed them, and she had done it on purpose to keep them down until Horgey – as he was then – had them under control.

Well, Lesara had been a failure; but no-one could succeed with her, even the Masterharper!

And now she, Kitiara, was one of the lowest of the low, a candidate, not even a weyrling. As a senior apprentice she carried some rank, which counted; but here in the Weyr her birth was immaterial.

There would be, doubtless, some candidates trying to use Rank; and Kitiara wondered if she were justified in using her own birth to put them in their places.

She resolved to try not to; it OUGHT to be irrelevant. And if her Rank were known it might put off those of lower birth she might otherwise make friends with.

Besides, it would be more fun to conceal it and then mention in passing and watch the less pleasant chew on their own bile. Kit brightened. That was THAT decision thought through.

Who she was inside was still a problem. And whether she was 'H'gey's weyrmate' or not. They had exchanged quite chaste kisses, but Kit was cautious. H'gey seemed willing to take it slowly, so she could make the decision not to move in with him until she was ready to go all the way.

Kit knew it was to her advantage that she knew some of the members of the Harperweyr; L'gal, the acting master, T'rin and H'gey, the journeymen, F'lim, senior apprentice who not so long ago had been Felimmy the flaming nuisance of the Harper Hall. There was T'arla, who she knew slightly and had heard a lot about from T'rin.

And there was T'rin's baby daughter too, Tylessa, child of the Harperweyr Headwoman Allessa, whose son Lyseder was an apprentice and a fosterling of T'rin too!

But she must not hide behind the Harpers.

She was a candidate too; and must try to make friends with the other candidates.

Somehow Kit doubted it would be as easy as settling in and making friends amongst the happy-go-lucky Harper apprentices!

Some would have come on search for the right reasons, to serve, and because they loved dragons and could not stay away. Others would be there to please family – though of course that happened in crafthalls too, the Harper Hall no exception to apprentices trying to live up to talented parents or trying to bring honour on their family regardless of whether they were truly as talented as their fond parents liked to think. Some would have come to the Weyr as an escape; either seeing it as a soft option, as some saw Harping too, or to escape from very real misery or oppression. And some would come in the hopes of prestige. It was these last who would be the troublesome ones; the ones who saw the idea of riding a dragon as glamorous, raising them above others.

There would also be the incurably romantic; they might well love dragons, but might well have come to the Weyr in the hopes of finding true love after being swept off their feet – metaphorically or actually – by some handsome and dashing rider.

The boys would doubtless have similar motives to the girls – save perhaps the last, though with young homosexual lads one might not rule it out – so there might not even be any joy of them either.

Kit decided to dress ambiguously and stick to her apprentice nickname.

She could decide whether to make friends then amongst the boys or the girls or both!

Daenilth had not yet laid her clutch, so search was not yet on in earnest. That too gave Kit an advantage; she would be well established in the Weyr by the time most candidates came in, and might even be mistaken for weyrbred if she was careful. She had absorbed already a considerable amount of knowledge about dragons and weyr life from T'rin after all!

The only other girl who had so far been brought in with the intention of standing since the last clutch was Ishelle, from the Woodcrafter Hall. Kit knew that T'rin respected H'llon, the Weyrwoodcrafter, so went in search of her; of those who had failed to Impress last hatching, only a girl called Jarla would be standing again, Siselly and Elena having elected to stand down to do other jobs in the Weyr, Siselly in fact helping Allessa in the Harperweyr. Carlinna had elected to spend more time improving her art before putting herself forward again as a candidate, once she felt herself more worthy. There were other women and girls of the weyr who were eligible; but Kelia still preferred not to stand, Mayana was adjudged too young by her parents still, and Meliandra was still in too minds over attempting to join her sister I'linne in Impression. Kit judged that Ishelle would be the loneliest in some respects, the woodcraft apprentices being rather young, and likely to welcome overtures of friendship. Thus she approached the girl with a warm smile.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully "It's nice to meet others with a craft; as you can see I'm a Harper, so we're in a similar situation of having respectable craft halls."

Ishelle smiled nervously.

"I'm not really a very competent apprentice" she said. "If I could Impress, I'd likely give it up. I – I became an apprentice and then came on here to avoid getting married."

"Oh, I see" said Kit. "Some parents can be the limit, or so I'm told; I'm lucky I guess, I have pretty understanding ones. They've never tried to coerce me in any way."

"Luckly old you! My parents want the acceptable thing. They – I – I say, aren't you a friend of Journeyman T'rin?"

"Yes, but that's all it is" said Kit firmly. "Friends. And if you don't mind a word of advice, try not to fall for him; he's a good natured rogue who likes to keep it as well oiled as a dragon is in as many women as possible."

Ishelle flushed.

"I – I hadn't fallen for him" she said. "I just wondered if you knew how it all worked here; I've been here nearly three months but…. I don't like to ask the Impressed weyrwomen and – and there are things I can't ask H'llon; and I nearly asked the girl called S'hana because she used to be a friend of Elissa, but – but she's a bit…."

"Abrasive?" laughed Kit. "Yes, I've heard of S'hana. And her foster mother Y'lara! What do you want to know? I can't guarantee to know the answers you know! I mean, you've had more time than me to pick up the customs here!"

"Well…you see, at the Woodcrafter Hall I – I pretended to know more than I did about…intimacy…and I ended up insulting people worse than I meant; and I've been terrified of making the same mistake, so I've been wary; only Journeyman T'rin is well liked, and I guess a friend of his would be nice…that Kelia, Brown Rider K'len's sister is doing the same thing I did, pretending she knows all about….men and women. Z'ira's been kind to me; and L'sya too; but of course when I arrived they hadn't long been Impressed, so they're kind of preoccupied. It – it would be nice to have a female friend close to me in age."

"Well we can certainly resolve to try to be friendly" said Kit "Though we might not end up friends-forever-undivided if we've few interests in common. And I haven't really done much in the way of intimacy either, though I was betrothed – which was my choice – to H'gey before he Impressed. And we shall probably weyr together soon. But I guess he's too tired to want to go any further, with Brieth so demanding still; and I'm not displeased at the moment because it's still all a little scary."

Ishelle heaved a sigh of relief.

"It's nice to be able to be honest about one's ignorance" she said. "Elissa sent me here; she found out that I was putting on an act and I didn't even know about….bleeding" she blushed "And put me right about a few things, and how I was being really nasty by ….by what I said."

"Silly clunch" said Kit, without rancour. "But then we all make fools of ourselves one way or another. I had a most violent crush on T'rin for a while, and then I had a violent crush on the idea of having a crush on T'rin. I got over it, then I met Horgey, as he was then. And I also pretended hard I was a boy for turns – the Masterharper knew, and my special friends – but I didn't want the masters to have apoplectic fits that I had a thought or two in my head as well as teats in my tunic. For some of them, the two are mutually exclusive!"

"What about Menolly?"

"Oh, Menolly's exceptional; unique; a genius. Even the most superannuated old caprines had to accept her ability, and you didn't hear that description of any of our masters from me" she grinned.

Ishelle smiled back.

"There are one or two of them less than nice in Lemos too" she said "Though it's a young craft, so I guess there are less that are hidebound. Nobody makes any problem about female apprentices except Master Gerney; and he accepted Elissa as a special pupil because she's so good. And now I hear they've got married; so I guess she taught him not to hate women."

"Probably just confused by them the way H'llon's supposed to be" said Kit. "Nice to think there's somewhere that isn't hidebound!

Ishelle was almost pathetically eager to please; and not, perhaps, terribly bright; but she had managed to lose the airs and false sophistication she had assumed at the Woodcrafter Hall and was a nice enough girl able to admit to fears and concerns for her future. Kit thought that once she learned a little self confidence she would blossom – or at least she hoped so! She found the woodcraft apprentice a little tedious, but was nice to her anyway in an offhand sort of way, reflecting wryly that it would probably lead to Ishelle attaching herself to her with embarrassing effusion! The girl was at least willing to try to fit in; and so was less wearing than poor pessimistic Duthi with his black moods and frequent threats to throw away his apprenticeship, for finding it hard to even see the possibility of success!

There was another girl whose things were in the female candidates' dormitory, but Jarla slept a lot of the time over near the weyr runnerbeasts she helped to tend, being very good with animals. Jarla was younger than Kitiara by a good turn; and had been a little childish when she had first arrived. She was growing up fast for being able to be a real help to the Weyr, rather than feeling she was set to makework. Her leatherwork too was famously good, and she worked with the Weyrtanner as well as helping with fighting straps. The girl was in many ways treated more like a young weyrwoman, a resident, like weyrartist Geriana, than like a candidate. Those in authority were pleased by the way Jarla had shaped up, and were definitely planning on putting her forward again. But until the clutch was laid, Jarla liked to be across with the beasts she helped care for.

H'gey was pleased that Kit was trying to make friends with candidates out of the Harperweyr and mentioned Jarla as someone she might wish to get to know.

"She's a bit runner-mad, mind" he said "I don't know if you've anything in common or not."

Kit wrinkled her retrousse nose.

"Oh dear" she said. "I always stayed out of the way of runner-man fosterlings. So terribly HEARTY!"

H'gey laughed.

"Maybe you'll like other forms of riding one day" he said.

"If I Impress? Of course I…" she briefly misunderstood; then flushed! "H'gey! You BAD one!"

"I do my best!"

Kit brushed his lips with hers; and he drew her to him for a hard, demanding kiss.

He broke off quickly, feeling her alarm.

"I'm sorry my dear" he said. "You are so lovely…."

"H'gey….." she was trembling "I want it but I'm a little…. I liked that…."

"But the intensity scared you?" he asked gently.

She nodded.

"I'd better try and be good then" he said gravely; and pulled a comical face at her.

"I guess…. I guess I don't want you to try too hard" said Kitiara, shyly.

"Girl, I'm not made of stone" said H'gey. "I can't play games; you affect me too much. I can only live with so much teasing."

Kit blushed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tease. I – I want to get used to….to finding out what it feels like to want someone and to be….you know."

He nodded.

"I'll always respect your wishes, love; I'll never go further than you want; but I do ask in return that you try not to make it too fardling hard for me."

"I didn't know I was teasing; I'm sorry."

He held out his arms; and she went to him, to be held against his strong chest, enlarged and deepened by so much upper body exercise as much as by singing.

H'gey did not show how much he wanted to go further; that this wonderful girl loved him was amazing, especially in light of their less than auspicious beginning several turns ago; and he would never do anything to frighten her or push her away!

He changed the subject.

"T'lana wants to put Meliandra forward too" he said.

Kit, enjoying his scent, cared little about Meliandra; but asked politely,

"Oh?"

"She's one of Meron's girls, our I'linne's older sister. Not that the two are much alike!" he grinned, for I'linne's pedantic speech initiated to irritate her foster parents was legendary. "Meliandra was….used….by her foster father and his sons. So too was the fellow's own daughter, the creep."

"Ugh!" shuddered Kit. "But that's…."

"Incest? Yes, my innocent, one of the country crimes, to be found in small Holds as well as in cotholds."

Kit suddenly remembered how H'gey had told all T'rin;s friends of the abuse he had received at the hands of his own uncle; and hugged him fiercely.

He hugged her back, and went on,

"Meliandra can be prickly and defensive. She's friendly with J'esha, but I think it would be nice, should she agree to be a candidate, if my well-adjusted love could be friendly towards her too."

Kit nodded.

That did not sound to be a problem.

"And you'll be a logicator, of course?" it was almost more a statement from him than a question.

"Oh, of course!" laughed Kit.

The apprentices of The Dormitory – as they referred to themselves – had done some logicating, though collecting and collating information was more their speciality! But T'rin had told tales of the logicators and Kit was eager and curious to join! It was a shame that Ishelle had not wanted to join the logicators; Kit thought it might be good for her, especially as the other woodcrafters were all leading lights in it! Still, the girl evidently still needed time to find her feet!

Meliandra, it turned out, did come to some at least of the logicator meetings. It was thanks to the logicators that her plight had been known and that of the younger girl at the Hold abused by her own father. Meliandra might be prickly, and occasionally sulky, but she was essentially a fair minded girl who wanted to give back what she had gained. She also mucked in to help with the orphaned children of the childhold – basically run by the logicators – whilst claiming firmly to loathe children.

She made a pretty good job of hiding it from the children if she spoke truth; and Kit admired her for that, and said so.

Meliandra tossed her head and gave a harsh laugh.

"Oh well, it's not their fault that I'm not maternal" she said.

Kit decided not to actively seek friendship with Meliandra; the girl's very touchiness would likely lead her to push Kit away. It was better to let any friendship develop through shared interest in logicating and love of dragons. For Meliandra did love dragons, even though she pretended indifference!

She was more relaxed, Kit noted, with J'esha, if there appeared to be nobody watching. In public she made a show of deference to an Impressed rider – which irritated J'esha, but the Green Rider put up with it for her friend's sake – but in private Meliandra spoke in a more relaxed way, yet with animation.

Kit thought that Meliandra felt defensive about her friendship with her Impressed cousin; and was half afraid of losing that friendship: and at that, the Harper girl was not far from the truth. Which was why T'lana had asked J'esha to broach the idea of standing this time as a candidate to Meliandra, to ask her to be a colleague!

T'lana's planning – and timing – rarely went awry; and Meliandra agreed! This meant four candidates already for the female wing, and although that would not limit the numbers brought in it gave enthusiastic Blue and Green Riders bent on search something of a yardstick to compare other girls to when Daenilth clutched her thirty nine eggs one cold winter's day!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The first candidate in was Carinn, from a small but relatively prosperous timber Hold in Tillek. Her great uncle was the Holder, though she scarcely knew him; her relationship was though her mother, and the girl had spent more of her young life with her father's people, weavercrafters, for her father was senior Journeyman in the small crafthall there.

Carinn had light brown hair and a pleasant face, and her little blue firelizard seemed happy and well cared for: but it was soon apparent that there were certain flaws to her character that made her difficult to live with, without irritation! One of the first things she did was to ask to borrow breast bands because she had 'just forgotten' to pack them. Just forgetting to pack things was soon a standing joke about the less than well organised young girl! What she HAD remembered her firelizard generally rearranged helpfully – or not – and most of Carinn's time was spent searching for this or that essential! That the girl had little idea of the hardships of life many had to face and was inclined to blurt out comments, not intended as ill natured, but sounding unpleasant with the way they came out. This was a bit of a problem as she managed to antagonise half the Weyr by asking – in all innocence! – if Blue Rider H'gey would ever be able to fight Thread or if he'd be as tied as the useless sport out at Sarel's farm she had heard about!

As Warneth, the said sport, looked to Sh'allen, one of the most popular Riders ever, and as most of those who did not know the one time Bronze Rider were friends of H'gey and the Harpers, the bewildered girl had found herself shouted down by many loud voices!

"She IS only thirteen" said Kit.

"At least she means well" said H'gey, who had been one of the few NOT to take offence at her less than tactful comment about him. The rest of the Harperweyr had used every ounce of their Harper training and linguistic attainment to convey how much they disapproved of such comments!

Kit nodded.

"If ONLY she could manage to go more than a few hours without either losing things or opening her mouth and swallowing foot to knee!" she groaned. "I half feel the child needs a keeper; and I'm not sure if being it would be more or less exhausting!"

It was generally felt that it was fortunate that the next girl in was older. Zeya was seventeen turns old, the child of a Vintner at High Reaches Hold itself.

Zeya had her own problems.

Kitiara introduced herself, and the others, for having – as Meliandra put it – the Harper way about her; which was to say two parts charm and three parts sheer gall. Kitiara cheerfully accepted that calumnious description of her craft, and proceeded to employ it. Zeya smiled vaguely and murmured that she hoped she would remember all the names.

Attempts at conversation led not very far; Zeya had no conversation once the weather was exhausted as a topic. She apparently had no views on any subject raised; and did not even seem to like dragons much, though she appeared unafraid of them.

It was Kit's considered opinion that her apparent bravery where dragons were concerned argued instead a disposition too stupid and unimaginative to feel fear!

"Zeya, don't you feel at all that dragons are the most wonderful creatures?" Kit persisted, trying to find SOME passion.

Zeya shrugged.

"They do a job for which we are all duly grateful"

It even sounded like a platitude.

"Why are you here?" asked Kit bluntly "You don't seem to view standing with any enthusiasm."

Zeya sighed.

"I do try to be a dutiful daughter" she said. "My family would so like me to Impress to bring lustre upon the family. I'm not much of a vintner you see; I can't taste the difference between one wine and another, they're the same level of nasty. And my only other option is to marry well; but my parents think I should try here first. I've all the proper skills to be a good wife, but father thinks I should have a more exciting life."

Her lacklustre tone told what she thought of an exciting life.

"Surely it has to be better than being married off without your consent to someone your father deems suitable – though he sounds a decent sort of father to give you the option."

"Oh he's a kind father, no doubt of that" said Zeya "And I'm certain he'd find a kind husband for me, a nice older man who would guide me and take care of me. I hope he will; I'd like to be mistress of my own establishment and have control of my own inventory lists and stores!"

As this was the closest she came to showing any degree of animation, Kit gave up after that.

Some people you could do nothing with; even those who were not unpleasant.

"She's as exciting as wash day" she complained to H'gey!

Jarla sought out Kitiara before any more candidates came in.

"I say, you count as resident here because you have a craft" she said "And I thought us residents ought to kind of hang together in case there's any unpleasantness like there was last time."

"Unpleasantness?" queried Kit.

"Last hatching there was a girl, she was not just first daughter of a rich Holder she was also of the Blood: and she fancied herself big time. Tried to kill our Z'ira to prevent her Impressing Tiabeth!"

Kit gasped!

"That's – that's unbelievable!" she said shocked. "Not that I'm doubting what you say" she added hastily "It's just…that anyone should…. Well, it takes a lot to make a Harper run out of words!"

Jarla nodded.

"We were all shocked, and then some more. I thought H'llon was going to shake her until her brains ran out of her nose; and she was lucky at that 'cos he saved her being mauled by Tiabeth for hurting her Rider – Impression had already taken place, you see!"

"Serve her right!" said Kitiara unsympathetically. "I bet H'llon only saved her so Tiabeth wouldn't have the knowledge of having done it. Eastern Isles?"

Jarla shook her head.

"No, drudgery and Rankless in High Reaches Hold. Nobody wanted her to breed innocent brats on the Eastern Isles."

"There is that" said Kit. "Not the fault of any inevitable offspring. Yes, concerning your initial request, I think that residents should hang together – providing that you're not proposing an us against them thing even if there's no funny business?"

Jarla quickly shook her head.

"Oh no! Only I've also heard of other stuck up girls playing dirty tricks and other candidates combining and pooling firelizards to watch and such. I've not got a lizard, but I've quick ears and I'm handy in a fight. I'm Runnercothold bred and I've scrapped with jockeys since I was knee high to a trundlebug."

"Excellent" said Kit. "I've scrapped with the boys at the Harper Hall, so with Meliandra and Ishelle we should be all good. Ishelle needs protecting."

Jarla nodded.

"She's a 'to avoid' not a 'because'" she said.

"You said what?"

"She's here to avoid; marriage, ill treatment, or whatever. Some people come because: because they love dragons, because they want the status of swanning about dragonback, because they want to serve. I've listened to all the stories; and unless 'to avoids' become 'becauses' quickly, they don't tend to Impress. You need to be positive to attract dragons.

"So if you have a 'because the Weyr is a good place' in the 'to avoid unpleasantness' you start out more positive than if you're 'at least it's someplace other'?" said Kit.

Jarla nodded.

"So I figure; like S'ealle. She came to avoid being grateful any more to her husband's relatives, but also because she wanted her sons to have a better life."

Kit assimilated this, nodding.

"Is that semi official terminology or did you come up with it yourself?"

"I made it up…. I was a bit spoilt and immature when I first got here; it's only been a few months, but I've been watching and trying to learn ever since. And finding out what sort of people dragons like to try to aspire to be one."

"Sounds like you've done a good job – oh sorry, that sounded awfully patronising!" added Kitiara hastily.

Jarla laughed.

"Oh I know there are plenty of marks on YOU Impressing: K'len, who holds all the Weyr bets, was disappointed there wasn't a Queen because he'd have had you on the list."

Kit blushed.

"I don't see that somehow" she said. "And I'm glad there isn't; for I'd not want a Queen. Brieth couldn't catch her and I'd have to wake up with the wrong man every time she rose instead of there only being a small risk of that happening."

"Well you take the concept philosophically enough" said Jarla. "I confess it's one aspect of Impression I'm nervous about; and I've no lover as yet, so I'd have no choice to influence a dragon with – if I did Impress. And you Craftbred too!" she giggled teasingly, for the Craftbred were notoriously prudish.

"Holdbred, strictly speaking" said Kit. "Attitudes of the same kind do prevail in Holds too, but there's no point being unrealistic. H'gey loves me even if – should I Impress – I ended up in dragonlust with another. And as it's supposed to be very good I guess I wouldn't mind at the time even if I regretted if it happened."

Jarla laughed.

"HOW Y'lara shouted at M'kel – or so I heard – when Tanath wasn't flown by Vorth!" she said.

Kit winced.

She had heard of Y'lara's fine seabred temper!

Lord Deckter of Nabol Hold sent a rather diffident message to T'lana, telling her he presumed upon their distant kinship to ask if she would send a Rider capable of checking suitability as he had a couple of female candidates he felt might be the right stuff.

"Deckter's a good man" Meliandra said to the assembled 'residents' as they waited to greet the newcomers. "He has relatives who aren't pushy or stuck up."

"Like you dear" grinned Jarla. "Not to mention J'esha, I'linne, Ipominea and Jaysen. And if you stretch a point, T'lana, Z'linda, L'zayn and Z'nil. It's an impressive list – not just having nice characters, but all who've stood for Impression to date except Jaysen have Impressed. And he's very young and so wrapped up in his music, reckon it'll take a while, if indeed it ever happens."

Meliandra flushed at the compliment.

"I suppose I do actually have some rather decent relations these days."

"Yes, one rotten apple doesn't make the tree bad" said Kitiara, making reference to the relatively new industry of apple growing and cider making in the Nabol region as a suitable simile.

"Did you know" said Meliandra "That the cultivation of orchards was actually started by the Lord Holder who Fax deposed, not by my late and unlamented sire, he being only Fax's steward until he got himself confirmed by right of possession?"

"Heh" said Kit "And that's why all but My Lord Applemaggot are all right. No chance for the Blood to curdle!"

The others laughed, unaware that Kit was herself of the Blood.

Meliandra sighed.

"Alas if that were only true" she said "For a lot of my kin DO throw their weight around because they feel deeply that their claim to the Blood is not old; and they think that people secretly laugh and sneer at them."

"Which of course we do; but only because of their behaviour. So they ask for it by being stupid" said Kit.

"Exactly" said Jarla. "I say, how is it exactly that T'lana is related to Lord Deckter? I never found out. It's not really important, of course, but it would be handy to know if we have any horridly snobbish ones…"

"Being Queenrider supersedes being of the Blood and then some!" said Kit, hotly.

"Yes, but I take her point" said Meliandra. "I believe that Lord Deckter's mother is connected to T'lana's mother in some degree….he calls her cousin, as much of courtesy as anything."

"Does the Weyr worry about birth?" asked Ishelle "I never saw any signs of it before!"

"Shards, no!" said Jarla "It's just nice to be able to deliver ripping good put downs to snobs. The 'we think the way you behave's more important than Blood and so does so-and-so who was born such and such'. You know."

"Erm" said Kit "Will you hold it against me if I reveal I've some Rank to throw at such?"

"HAVE you?" Ishelle was surprised. "No one would ever guess it, for you're really nice!"

Meliandra gave a short, bitter laugh and Ishelle coloured.

"I keep forgetting you're Ranking too, Meliandra" she said. "And anyway, you're so much older than me, I've only got to know you 'cos of Jarla's scheme for us to hang tight."

"She said she thinks you're nice too if a little geriatric" Kit translated, getting an indignant gasp and a poke from Ishelle for the last part!

"What Rank do you carry?" asked Jarla, far too nosy to let the subject drift!

Kit shrugged.

"My grandfather is Lord Groghe" she said nonchalantly "So L'rilly is my cousin. And my mother's actually legitimate too, which is never guaranteed with the proddy old so-and-so." The love and pride in her tone spoke louder than her disrespectful description of her grandsire!

"HAH!" said Jarla "THAT's a full house to any piddley high card anyone else can pull!"

"H'gey used it shamelessly against his Ranking paying students" said Kit "But Meliandra outranks; she's daughter of Lord, and even though he's dead she's legitimate too."

"Sweetie, you may not have noticed, but that technicality doesn't count for many in the light of my dear father's great popularity" said Meliandra sarcastically. "I go as Lord Deckter's cousin thank you; it's less uncomfortable and gets me treated with a degree of respect, not reviled from the word go."

Kit made a rude noise.

"As if you asked to have such a creature for your father!" she said. "And if anyone has any right to comment, it's T'bor – and I bet he doesn't!"

Meliandra gave her a curious, twisted smile.

"No, kiddie, he doesn't" she said. "I've got better kin here than I ever had when I was a Lord Holder's daughter, and I don't just mean my sisters."

"That's the nice thing about High Reaches" said Ishelle "They DO make you feel at home here!"

"Dragon coming in" said Jarla "It's Vorth; reckon that's our new ones; let's see if they want to be made to feel at home!"

Neither Asada nor Seeta wore knots denoting any kind of relationship to Ranking members of either Nabol Hold or any minor Hold beholden to it.

Asada was the older of the two, probably older than Meliandra; and she almost fell off M'kel's Vorth in her eagerness to meet the girls waiting for them.

"Hello!" she said, cheerfully "I'm Asada, and I need to know right away if you're going to despise me for being an ovine herder!"

"Whoh, THAT's a tough job" said Jarla. "Me, I'm a Runnerbeast groom, and I help with other beasts here; so we've beasts in common. And no, we don't care. Kit – Harper. Ishelle – woodcrafter. Meliandra – aide to Queenrider L'rilly. There's two others, Carinn, who's just a kid, and Zeya. They're still settling in." Her smile and the introductions embraced the other girl too, who had approached a little more decorously, despite seeming the younger.

"It's nice that there are other crafters" the new arrival said. Kit judged her in age to be between herself and Meliandra. She introduced herself; "I'm Seeta; I'm a potter. My father's a craftmaster but….it seemed right to come." She had too a little green firelizard that was busy making friends with Kitiara's blue Flute, trilling little greetings at each other.

"Well" said Jarla, who had found out who almost everyone in the Weyr was, an asset in a logicator, "The Weyr potter is Journeyman Iavell. He's a nice chap; he's a logicator. He'l be happy for you to work with him if you want. And he puts some of his spare time fancywork on the Weyr craftstall."

"Yes, I've heard of the logicators" said Seeta. "Lord Deckter is very complimentary; and my father's a great supporter of his – and of the Weyr. I'd be glad to add my efforts to your care for orphans, for I know how lucky I am to have a supportive family and craft. I know how to hustle."

"Excellent!" several of them, pleased, spoke at once.

"I feel relatively useless now!" said Asada. "Do all candidates have their assigned jobs or crafts?"

Meliandra shook her head.

"No, we just have quite an industrious bunch at the moment! And Jarla overstated MY job really; I lie somewhere between aide and drudge, because L'rilly is a good sort and like all Queenriders is perpetually overworked! I do what I can to release her from some of the routine work. Besides, my next sister is married to a cousin if her weyrmate. If you'd like to help with the herds, it'll be gratefully accepted – especially at shearing; because if you should Impress, your dragonet will have stopped being quite so tiring by then!"

Asada brightened.

"Gladly! I hate to be idle!"

"Excellent!" grinned Jarla. "TWO complete antidotes to Prisca!"

"Prisca?" Asada asked.

"She's gone" grinned Jarla. "She featured famously in a drawing by our weyrartist demanding of a dragonet that it brought her klah and breakfast in bed. She's the most horizontal person I ever met, counting baby firelizards and new hatched dragons in that!"

"T'rin wrote a largo about her as a joke" said Kit "And it makes you want to yawn when he plays it!"

The others laughed. They might not know precisely what a largo might be; but the general meaning was clear!

"Good ol' Deckter, he's done us good again!" said the irrepressible Jarla!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Favanni came from Rivenhill Hold.

"I've messages galore from young Lady Amrys to a girl called Sagarra!" she confided "So if someone would be kind enough to point her out I'll get that done before I forget them all!"

Kitiara laughed.

"Yes, Sagarra fostered for a turn with Amrys" she said, knowing this from T'rin. "She's one of our Journeyman Harper's foster sisters. That doesn't make clear if it's one of his sisters or one of our journeymen, does it? A most unharperlike lapse of clarity! But it could be taken bothe ways with equal accuracy so I'll just leave you to unravel the relationships as you get to know people!"

Favanni laughed.

"Well, I expect I shall be able to sort out who's who at some point!" she said. "Both Lady Warder Rillys and Lady Amrys assured me that the Weyr was friendly, and I'm glad to see they seem to be quite right!"

Although Kit did not know Amrys and Rillys personally she had heard enough about them from T'rin to be certain that their choice of candidate would be a nice person! She hid a smile as she wondered how there might be that much news to send, for Sagarra had visited Rivenhill not long since, to see Rillys' new baby daughter Corrys who had been born not long after the last eventful hatching. Sagarra had been ecstatic that her friend had a sister about the same age as her own newest siblings when T'lana presented her family with triplets; and the little girl predicted that in about thirteen turns, and counting in T'rin's daughter too, there would be a fine crop of female candidates and poor little Garlan – T'lana's only son of the three – would be duly henpecked.

Favanni however went off to share a budget of news with good cheer, glad to do anything that would make her young Lady Holder happy!

The next girl to come in stood on the recommendation of Kaili; and was the nearest so far to a Ranking candidate, if one discounted Carinn's tenuous connections.

She greeted the others with a proud defiance.

"You'll not have heard of my Hold" she said "And I expect that some of you will call it an overgrown cothold. And it's true we're more or less beholden to Northfork: but we're essentially independent and we've a very good little weavercraft Hall with two journeymen and several apprentices. And I do some design work for them."

"Don't be so fardling touchy" said Kit. "We don't do birth here. We're all candidates; that's all that's important. But if you've a skill like designing, that puts you above candidates who don't; and if you'd like to work with the weyrartist that's all to the good."

Mireela – which was the girl's name – brightened.

"You've an artist? I'd like to study with him, though I'm more interested in designing clothes than drawing as such."

"She'll accept that" put in Jarla. "Everyone likes Geri, including the dragons. And the senior weyrwomen will LOVE to wear clothes designed for them to make other weyrs' women and Ladys Holder jealous. Playing for points, you know."

Mireela smiled ruefully.

"No, not really: but I expect I shall learn to understand" she said. "I am good at what I do; but I could be better."

"Now THAT's the mark of a true craftsman" said Kit in approval. Mireela might only be thirteen turns old but she seemed promising material! She also had a little green firelizard who looked well cared for and who's eyes whirled gently in blue contentment as she sat half asleep on the girl's shoulder; which was another good sign – especially that there was obviously no adverse emotions the little creature was picking up about the girl's recent trip _Between_!

It had been T'han who had brought in Mireela from her Hold near Northfork, where the young Rider was currently based; he was awaiting transfer back to the Weyr and to a fighting wing now he had outgrown the tendency to fall over his own feet! One of the Brown Riders of T'rin's clutch would replace him as soon as R'gar trusted the boy not to make any mistakes transferring _Between_. Some people had no trouble making visualisations for their dragon to transfer _Between_; T'rin had picked up the concept almost as easily as he had picked up music, but this lad, L'kar, was struggling. Once he could manage Northfork, High Reaches Hold and the seven spindles of the Weyr, R'gar was prepared to let him go out and feel useful, getting used to limited fixed co-ordinates before having to send him off with firestone to the wide varieties of locations necessary to replenish the fighting wings! R'gar had an enviable record of safely in blooding his weyrlings, largely because he would not let them go before he felt they were ready. And with the acknowledgement of Mirrith's status as a Queen, the green-cast sport's eggs had made a real difference to the fighting strength of the Weyr, so that he had the luxury of so doing!

oOoOo

T'han was returning to Northfork; and had decided to take the opportunity of stopping off on the way to take Firrianth hunting. They were circling lazily, questing for wild wherries when the Brown Dragon informed his rider,

_"One of considerable power runs scared and projects strongly"_

_**"Let us then go see"**_ said T'han.

The small figure was running desperately, as desperately as Menolly's legendary attempts to outrun Thread; and the fugitive was pursued by men on hunt-trained runnerbeasts. A crossbow bolt narrowly missed the running figure.

_**"Ready Firrianth?"**_ T'han asked.

_"Yes"_.

The Brown dragon swooped and with a neat wing action caught the running figure in one forepaw, sending soothing thoughts to the tiny chittering hatchling firelizard clinging to her arm.

She was just a child.

Firrianth backwinged and landed; and T'han slid off his back to confront the hunters, arms folded, a scowl on his face

"WELL?" he demanded.

He recognised the leader from Gathers and race meetings.

It was Holder Deever, a rival to Tragen in the breeding and training of runnerbeasts, though Deever specialised in racing and riding beasts, where Tragen also bred working puncherons and runners broken to pull. Deever had the reputation as a jovial man who was not averse to mild skulduggery to help his runners win at race meetings.

He did not look at all jovial now.

T'han recalled a comment of R'gar's, about somebody else; 'a pleasant man until he's crossed – that's a good definition of a bully'.

Deever flushed before the scornful dragonrider.

"Give me the thief!" he demanded.

T'han narrowed his eyes.

"I don't believe that I shall do that; though I might well go to Lord Bargen and have HIM sort it out. Grown men with crossbows chasing a little girl?" his voice dripped with contempt. "What can she have stolen and how dangerous an opponent can she be to warrant such?"

"She stole my firelizard!" yelped Deever.

"Please, dragonman, it wasn't my fault!" the little girl called.

"Of course it was, you conniving slut!" screamed Deever.

T'han held up his hand.

"You are saying she pushed in front of you while the hatching took place in order to Impress?"

"Well no, but she was there!"

"Girl, what happened – in YOUR words?" asked T'han "This fellow seems incapable of coherent tale."

Deever started to speak; but T'han waved a hand at him in a gesture that plainly intended to be obeyed. The girl spoke up.

"Sir, I had brought meat as hatching was imminent, as I had been ordered, because it was expected within the hour. Only Holder Deever wasn't in his main room. I – I heard him in the bedroom, I guess with the new drudge that came to work from a cothold; and the shell cracked. I – I called, and he shouted not to interrupt him. And – and Autumn here was so hungry, so – so I fed him!" she finished.

Several of the men were laughing behind their hands and T'han recalled that the man Deever had a reputation for seducing girls too.

"I see" he said, with heavy irony. "So, knowing that the hatching of your firelizard was imminent, you preferred to satisfy your own animal lusts; and would not come when called. I would say that the girl had done her best to fulfil her duty to you; and that you have effectively chosen to give your firelizard away. Impression is no theft unless the egg is deliberately taken by another."

Deever went purple.

"She should have been more specific in what she shouted, not just saying to be quick!" he e shouted.

"Excuse me? A drudge? Find words in Harper-quick time – for hatching happens fast – to direct and give orders to one who is her overlord? I should think it amazing even to shout at you at all – for I should think anyone might be afraid to brook a man with so nasty and childish a temper as you" said T'han. "I think there is every credit to her courage to interrupt your rutting and call forth what I suspect was vituperation on her head as well as being told not to bother you. There is no theft; therefore she is no thief. And I will make a deposition to Lord Bargen of the facts of this case so that no false rumour may be spread about this child."

"I must abide by whatever ruling the Lord Holder makes" Deever almost snapped "But I'll not have the slut back! She can live Holdless!"

"She can come to the Weyr" said T'han "And when she has Impressed a dragon I'll enjoy the thought of her outranking a nasty piece of work like you. Faugh! What did you hope to achieve by hunting her down? Revenge? On a child?"

"I want my firelizard back!"

"Holder Deever, are you entirely ignorant? Once Impression is made it is not reversible – even in a benighted little cot like yours you must have heard that! The firelizards would not look to you once Impression was made with another, even if you did murder her as you seemed to have intended. And you men with him; be aware it would have been a clear case of murder, and you all implicated. Had you acted in any reasonable manner, I should have recommended that a replacement egg be found for you by the Weyr; but I see you are not the sort we would care to trust dragonkin to since you have already put your own lusts above the creature's needs. It is possible that the Weyr may compensate you the cost of a bronze firelizard egg; on that I must consult T'bor, an in my opinion if he agrees to that it's more than you deserve, you proddy little beast."

Deever stared in open mouthed anger at T'han's speech; but dared not say anything with thirty five odd metres of Brown dragon as his backup. He looked slightly mollified however at the chance of getting the price of his egg back.

"Well I shall certainly expect due compensation!" he snapped.

"THAT's at T'bor's discretion" T'han snapped back. He was holding himself to prevent himself shaking with anger and reaction. "C'mon kid" to the girl, holding tight to Firrianth for comfort. "Up you scramble. You're going to get cold, I'm afraid, in _Between_; here, you wear my jacket" he shrugged it off.

"I can't take your jacket, Brown Rider!" she said.

"Yes you can. My tunic is thicker than yours and I have trews – and long underwear! I want you there quick, safe; so do as you're told halfpint!"

The girl obediently put on the Wherhide jacket. It engulfed her.

T'han was not the biggest of youths, nor was he full grown; but she was but a skinny slip of a thing!

"What's your name?" he remembered to ask.

"Tyasha, sir."

"Well, Tyasha, you and Autumn hold on tight there!"

There were no female riders of T'han's clutch; so he took Tyasha to T'lana.

Kitiara's curiosity was aroused by T'han returning, and with an inadequately clothed young girl; so, Harper-like, she drifted in the same direction as the young Brown Rider and his protégé to see what she might overhear; for she had less duties as yet than the others of the Harperweyr and so had the opportunity to indulge her nosiness.

T'lana took one look at the cold, apprehensive child and swept her off towards her own weyr, telling her she should warm up in a hot bath while more appropriate clothes were obtained.

It was an excellent opportunity; Kit went running for clothing for the girl!

She arrived at the run as T'lana was telling the child that stories might come later.

"Ah Kitiara" added the little weyrwoman "Well done. And if you're planning on hanging about to eavesdrop you can get klah and food for the child, and meat for her firelizard!"

"Yes, ma'am" said Kitiara obediently, running off again.

Being useful was a good way of being permitted to be involved!

It worked.

Kit fed Autumn while Tyasha ate and told her story.

"I'm only a drudge, ma'am" she said anxiously "Nobody to be treated like this; but oh! It is nice!"

"You're a kid who's been badly treated" said T'lana. "Your face and arms are a mass of bruises. And you ran like the wind, T'han says; he was impressed. As well as being angered by a child being hunted like a beast."

"I started when I realised I'd Impressed Autumn" said Tyasha "I knew he'd kill me."

T'lana compressed her lips.

"I've met Deever. I didn't realise how nasty he could be; but that doesn't mean that I doubt you. I didn't like him though I'd no real evidence why not" she said. "Tell us your life story, dear one. You seem too intelligent to be wasted as a drudge in a Hold small enough to need to maximise every resource."

"She said she thinks you're wasting your talents" T'han absently translated, knowing that T'lana's mathematical terminology was not universally understood.

"What he said" grinned T'lana.

"Well, ma'am, sir, my mother was a cotholder's daughter who went to the Hold to work – there's a lot of semi independent cots that look to the Hold" she explained.

T'lana nodded.

"My foster father's a cotholder runnerbreeder; I know how the system works."

Tyasha nodded, gratefully.

"Well, anyway, she – she met Deever when he was oldest son and – well, I suppose she thought it meant more than it did. She was pretty innocent, I think" she added. "And when she was with child and he laughed at her she couldn't have gone home because her parents wouldn't have her back."

"The old story" said T'lana grimly. "I suppose he likes innocent cothold girls who believe he really likes them?"

Tyasha nodded.

"He'll take other women to bed too, but he likes them young trusting and innocent" she said. "This new girl had only been in the Hold a sevenday and he'd set out to stalk her" she coloured suddenly and put her hand to her mouth "I'm sorry, I shouldn't speak so of my overlord!"

"He isn't any more. We are" said T'lana grimly, with a complete disregard for grammar. "And we need to know about him for T'han to take a full report of this to Lord Bargen, so T'han doesn't get any crackdust for doing his duty in rescuing you. So! This creep is your father, then?"

Tyasha nodded.

"I suppose that's why he's never tried to bed me" she said.

"Or it might be your young age; though I suppose at least he hasn't added incest to his crimes" said T'lana. "How old are you?"

"Thirteen turns, weyrwoman."

"Uuuh, well it's a little young, but I can't talk" said T'lana. "Will you stand for Impression for a Green dragon?"

"M-me? Truly?" Tyasha's eyes shone.

"I'll take that as a yes" said T'lana. "Has Deever ever denied that he's your father?"

"He's never even mentioned it" said Tyasha "And nor have I! I don't want to anger him any more, he's always cross at me as it is!"

"Has he many byblows?" asked T'han shrewdly.

Tyasha shrugged.

"I don't know. I just shut up and put up; for I had nowhere else to go, for if my grandparents would not have my mother back I bet they'd not have me either. I never questioned, life was as it was. So there you are."

"It seems to me" said Kitiara "That he's particularly snippy because he has no other issue and is angered to have just a daughter who's a drudge's child else he would not feel the need to so put Tyasha down."

"I agree with your assessment, dear one" said T'lana. "His wife, as I recall, is barren."

"She just eats these days" said Tyasha. "She – she's not very lovely to look at but I'm sorry for her. When he's got no-one else to shout at it's her he shouts at most. Me he just backhands out of the way. I try not to be in the way. Her he taunts and goads and insults."

"What about your mother?" asked T'han "Will he take reprisals on her?"

"She died a few turns ago. He made her clean grates and shift blackrock – I do that now. But all the dust made her lungs bad and she coughed herself to death."

T'lana compressed her lips.

"All our cleaning drudges wear masks when dealing with the dust because it can get in the lungs. Well, there's nothing we can do. HOW I do not like that man. But he's surface jolly so nobody knows…T'han, you'll witness a statement?"

T'han nodded.

"Do you know how to read and write, Tyasha?" asked Kitiara.

Tyasha flushed and shook her head.

"I can teach her, T'lana" Kit said. "It comes within my Harper duties anyway, and she'll find a female teacher easier than a male, however good H'gey is. Besides, he's a bit preoccupied with Brieth."

"Now there's my favourite Harper!" grinned T'lana.

"Flattery will get you nothing but faces made at you" said Kit, suiting actions to words.

"Two parts charm, three parts sheer gall" chuckled T'lana. "Get her introduced in the girls' dormitory, Kit, and show her about. We've a decentish bunch of girls so far this time, I don't think you need conceal the truth. Unless you want to, Tyasha?"

The girl shook her head.

"If people don't like me 'cos I'm a drudge I'd rather know now" she said.

"Good kid" said T'lana "Much what Asada said about being a caprine herder. You'll do just fine; now run along!"

Kitiara took Tyasha to run along – via Keerana for a complete set of clothes!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Tyasha settled in happily enough with the other girls, Kitiara telling her tale for her, Harper-fashion so that none should get the idea that Tyasha was indeed the thief Deever had called her.

"I'd say the fellow owes you a sight more than the cost of a firelizard egg" said Asada. "If I understand the law correctly, shouldn't he have paid a child price of compensation to your mother?"

Tyasha shrugged.

"I don't know" she said. "I'm a drudge; I have no education."

"Asada is correct; and he should also have paid compensation for unlawful seduction under false pretences" said Kit. "Though that you'd have a job proving. In practice most women don't claim for babies got by willing liaisons with Ranking or Weyr folk; but they are in theory entitled to a child price as Asada said."

"And our Harper should know" said Meliandra.

"I say, aren't you going to find it hard to be with civilised folk if you've been a drudge?" asked Carinn, with her usual lack of either tact or understanding. There was shocked silence as everyone stared in horror at Carinn.

"Carinn" said Kitiara "It takes a lot to silence a Harper; but you have come close! For one, I take exception to your implications that drudges are in any respect uncivilised. For another I think it's time you learned to curb your tongue if you can't say anything but maledicta. In the Harper Hall, if you were an apprentice under me I'd ask to have three days water rations ratified on you for being so nasty a bully; to teach you to recognise the bullying I'm sure you don't actually mean to do. Here I'm going to call for the other girls to refuse to talk to you for the rest of the day – and the next time you speak so grossly out of turn it'll be three days. Does everyone agree?"

"Yes" said Meliandra "She's got to learn that other people have feelings too, though I agree with you that the hurt she causes is unintentional. But there's a streak in there of foolish ideas that let such nasty speech come out."

The other girls nodded, even Zeya; for Zeya just fell in with the wishes of the others.

Carinn found it very hard!

When she had lost her scarf that she intended to wear to go across the Bowl to the eating cavern, and asked Seeta if she had seen it, Seeta turned her back pointedly.

Carinn was in tears by bed time.

Tyasha said,

"Look – can't we stop ignoring Carinn now? She's awfully unhappy!"

Kitiara ugged Tyasha.

"You're a nice forgiving kiddie. All right Carinn; it's over. D'you think it'll help you remember to think before you speak?"

Carinn nodded emphatically.

"I'll try. I – I guess I don't know much about how other people live. So – so I ask questions."

"And what questions!" said Kitiara. "Look, kiddie, if you feel you must ask questions, first think through if what you want to say would offend YOU if it was said to you; or better yet, come to me privately, or Meliandra or Jarla ; 'cos we're the ones with the widest life experiences, and ask. And we'll also tell you if you're thinking less than kindly thoughts; but we'll answer any question meant honestly. It might be a bit blunt, mind, but we'll answer it. And just remember, kid, we'd not take the trouble to try to teach you tact if we didn't think you were worth it. I don't think you're really unkind, only rather ignorant. And ignorance can be enlightened. We'll soon teach you what's what, huh?"

"I hope so" said Carinn "I didn't mean to be nasty."

"If only it were as simple to teach her not to lose things" murmured Jarla, sotto voce to Meliandra "We might be then getting somewhere!"

As soon as a reasonable number of candidates had arrived, R'gar and T'lana set them duties, hard physical duties as well as fitness training to get them prepared for the tough job of caring for a dragonet.

Kit scarcely saw H'gey from one day's end to the next!

She liked to slip away half an hour before bed time to tell him all that was happening; and find out how he was getting on with Brieth.

H'gey too was tired, caring for Brieth's needs; though he had plenty of help with that from volunteer apprentice harpers; but H'gey liked to do all he could for himself. He could stand easily in a bathing pool to scrub the little dragon; and leaing on Brieth's flanks he cold stand to oil him too.

"I walked three steps today!" he told Kitiara excitedly.

She hugged him.

"You're doing so well!" she said "Though I'm afraid of you overdoing it because you're so determined!"

"I've got so many things to be determined for" he said "Not just because I don't want to let Brieth down; though of course that's a big part. But I want you to have a weyrmate who's sound in wind and limb, not half a man."

"I've never thought that!" said Kit indignantly. "Is it what that little idiot Carinn said? We're breaking her of putting her foot in it with her silly ideas and big mouth."

H'gey laughed ruefully.

"No, it's not her. I – I've been feeling that way since I realised you had some feelings for me. And it became important for me not just to have the dignity of keeping clean but to be able to be whole for you."

Kit kissed him tenderly on the mouth.

"H'gey, I'd love you if I had to wipe your arse for you" she said bluntly. "I love YOU, you idiot."

"No greater love is there" he said, his eyes filling with tears of emotion. "But you see, don't you, my lovely, that I want to have the strength to satisfy you when – when you want to go that far?"

Kit blushed!

"Yes" she said softly "H'gey, when I'm not so flaming tired all the time, I – I think I'd like to….to experiment a bit more."

His breathing was suddenly ragged and his arms tightened.

"You'll be tireder yet first" he warned "When you Impress."

"If" she said.

"When. Everyone expects you to; and they've seen enough candidates come and go to have some idea."

Kit regarded him thoughtfully.

"How tired are you?" she asked.

"Oh, less than I was. Brieth's less demanding now."

"I think you should lie down."

"I don't need…." His eyes widened "Kit – are you sure?"

Kitiara nodded.

"I want you" she said, suddenly knowing that it was true "And I need to know you want me BEFORE I Impress and – and know it's not not just out of being sorry for me if you lay with me after I don't if I don't."

"Singularly muddled sentence, apprentice" H'gey tried to keep his tone light. "Dear, dear Kit, how could I not love you? You're so eminently loveable!"

"So shall we start with one of those exciting kisses of yours and see where it goes?" she snuggled at him.

H'gey gave up trying to be restrained.

The couple may not have got the whole way the first time; but they learned a lot about each other, and Kitiara was no longer nervous of the experience! It was with extreme reluctance that she got out of H'gey's bed in the morning for R'gar's exercises, grumbling faintly.

"Just like an apprentice" said H'gey, regretful that they could not lie in together. "Help me up love; Brieth's hungry!"

"And that will never do!" said Kitiara!

Ishelle noticed the change in Kit first, her happy sparkle of confidence as a woman.

"You're with H'gey now properly, aren't you?" she whispered, as R'gar bellowed orders to assorted male and female candidates. "You didn't sleep in your bed and you're….different somehow."

Kitiara beamed.

"When you're with the right person it's wonderful!" she said. "I guess the trick is getting the right one; and picking the right moment."

R'gar's voice cut in.

"DO you girls mind giving me just a small portion of your attention? Important to you as your discussions doubtless are, I have other priorities than whatever sartorial considerations you find so imperative!"

"Sorry sir" said Kit, not bothering to deny the accusation that they were discussing clothes.

"Old grouch" muttered Ishelle, resentfully.

"It's for a good reason – to save our lives one day" said Kitiara phlegmatically. She gave her full attention to the one-eyed Weyrlingmaster thereafter!

T'han's Firrianth came in to land as the candidates and weyrlings finished their exercises. The young Rider approached Tyasha.

Naturally, Kitiara eavesdropped!

"I went to Lord Bargen" said T'han "And he was of the opinion that the Weyr should on no account pay an egg price to Holder Deever; and that you were owed far more. I've left it to him to explain and took the coward's way out!" he grinned.

Tyasha stamped her foot.

"How can you call yourself a coward? You stood up to that big bully when you rescued me! And don't think I don't know that his men could have hurt Firrianth with their crossbows 'cos I know they could!"

T'han shrugged.

"I figured that they'd not think of it if I were arrogant sounding enough. And they were besides just ordinary people following orders who'd likely balk at attacking a dragon. Say, how did you know Firrianth's name?"

"He told me!" she sounded surprised.

T'han's eyebrows went up.

"He likes you then. Firrianth isn't ordinarily particularly chatty."

She flushed.

"Are you cross?"

"Silly girl! Of course not! I'm glad Firrianth likes you!" laughed T'han. "You'll see more of him soon, I'm due to be posted back here any time soon. I'll miss Tragen and his people, but I'll be glad to join a proper fighting wing!"

Her mouth made an 'O'.

"Are you scared?" she asked.

"Of course. Anyone who isn't is a fool. But I'm also excited and pleased to do what I became a dragonrider to do. You'll understand when it's you."

"Only if I Impress."

He shrugged.

"Firrianth doesn't reckon there's much doubt about that – if not this time, then the next. You're young of course; but you will Impress sometime. You might even be waiting for a Queen, I guess….well, we'll see" he patted her on the shoulder. "I've got to go see T'bor, let him know what Lord Bargen said!" and he strode off.

Kitiara raised a private eyebrow.

T'han did not much like the idea of Tyasha Impressing a Golden Queen; though she doubted he quite realised why just yet! After all, T'han was no older than she, Kitiara, was, not even as old; he was barely fifteen turns she was sure. They'd make a nice couple though – especially after they both finished growing up!

Lord Bargen subsequently came himself to question Tyasha; and the girl found herself in T'bor's office with a number of senior weyrstaff ranged behind her, for she was backed up by T'bor, Pilgra, T'lana and a Blue Rider with Journeyman Harper knots!

"T'rin here is Tyasha's advocate" said T'lana firmly. "Tyasha, T'rin's my fosterling and he also taught Kitiara; he's a friend of hers."

"Th-thank you Weyrwoman – I mean, T'lana! Tyasha was still adapting to High Reaches informality

Bargen smiled grimly.

"I'm not the enemy, lass, but I have to ask searching questions to get at the truth so I know what actions to take."

Tyasha nodded, big-eyed, Autumn hissing protectively on her shoulder.

"I – I can't pay for a firelizard egg yet, My Lord, but I can maybe work…."

"There's no question of YOU paying anything" cut in T'bor. "If Lord Bargen feels that the egg should be paid for – which I understood he does not – then the Weyr will pay. WE understand Impression."

Bargen nodded.

"My initial reaction is that the child is owed more but I need to know more about Holder Deever's actions. I've a mind to put a man in to watch him."

Tyasha nodded.

"I'll tell you all I can that you want to know, My Lord" she said simply.

Bargen's questions were searching; they touched on everything Tyasha remembered her mother ever telling her, and left the child crying as she grieved her dead mother. T'lana put an arm around her protectively.

"Lord Bargen, I know you're trying to prove her Right to Hold in the future, but she's weyrfolk" said the little red haired weyrwoman bluntly. "I doubt she'd want to go back; and she's certainly too young to be pushed into a marriage of your choosing if you've considered deposing Deever or er, finding him insane" T'lana referred to Bargen's recent manoeuvring of Holder Vorn into attacking him in an insane rage "Tyasha is a candidate now" she added.

"She should have the choice, weyrwoman T'lana" said Lord Bargen. "Do you want to stay in the Weyr, Tyasha? Or would you like to be acknowledged Deever's daughter?"

Tyasha, forgetting to whom she was speaking, snorted derisively.

"Why would I want anyone to know I was related to THAT?" she said forcibly. "Uh, sorry, My Lord, Weyrleader, Weyrwomen, I spoke out of turn."

T'bor was openly grinning.

"I agree wholeheartedly with your summation though, candidate" he said "I can see you're going to be quite as outspoken as any of the Weyrwomen here."

Tyasha grinned at him; he did not seem to think it a bad thing, after all!

"You prefer the Weyr then?" Bargen persisted. "You could always foster elsewhere, and never see him again. I have to offer it to her" he said half apologetically to the Weyrfolk.

"I want to ride a dragon and be available to protect people like me against such as my father, even the silly girls he flatters" said Tyasha firmly.

"You won't shift her view" said T'lana. "Firrianth is referring to her as T'asha, so HE's certain; and I ever argue with someone else's dragon. Well, except Laranth, but that's different."

"Hrm" said T'rin clearing his throat tactfully "If I may interpose a comment here, My Lord?"

"Certainly, Harper; I have every respect for your calling" said Lord Bargen, who also recognised the Harper as one of H'llon's friends and therefore probably worth listening to.

"If, as I surmise, you accept her descent, may I make a suggestion? It is based on precedent."

"What weesweet has that boy of yours got in his upper meadow now?" T'bor muttered to T'lana.

T'lana grinned.

"No idea, but I expect his weesweets will lay golden eggs of good sense and practicality" she said.

T'rin gave T'bor an injured look.

"I was about to cite the precedent of Lessa. She was heir to Ruatha, which she renounced to stand for Impresson and she was ceded Right, effectively, to name her successor, choosing Jaxom."

Bargen nodded thoughtfully.

"Then his heir be effectively picked by the Weyr?"

"Not essentially or necessarily" said T'rin "But that his daughter has say in the matter. Unless you find another byblow of his, in which case they're the best bet. 'Course, we'll be likely to steal them for the weyr first, but they might not want to come…"

"T'rin" said T'bor.

"Sorry Weyrleader" grinned T'rin. He did not sound in the least bit sorry.

Bargen digested this suggestion.

"Very well" he said "I'll certainly consider that. And I'll have my own people , the ones who have emulated your logicators as best they may, go in and find out of there are any more half-bloods. And I'll do what I can to sort the situation out. While he's not actually oppressing the majority nor disrespecting the Weyr, I'll not depose him; though I fancy he'll hold a grudge against young T'han, and maybe the Weyr as a whole. But I'll warn him against his behaviour and see that any he has seduced gets at least token compensation. Thank you, Tyasha, Weyrleader, Weyrwomen, Harper."

"He's a good man" said T'bor when the Lord Holder had gone.

"Yes" said T'lana "A little hidebound in his views about Lady Holders, but a good man for all that."

"Don't knock it" said Pilgra "We got L'beth out of his attitudes after all!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The last girl in was also Craftbred, an apprentice Tanner about Meliandra's age. She arrived with another apprentice who looked so like her – in a scruffier sort of way – that he had to be her brother.

"I'm Iaela" said the girl "This, I'm afraid, is my brother Borint, but I expect the Weyr will survive him."

Her brother made a face at her. He had a stubborn looking jaw that he set pugnaciously.

"I'm her to take care of my sis, 'cos she's been well good to me since our mother died" he said fiercely. Kitiara thought him all of thirteen turns!

"Dragonriders protect" she said "It's a good start! And tanners are always useful when leatherwork continuously needs replacing!"

"I specialise in whit-tawing – curing furs and fine work" said Iaela "Because it's all they reckon girls can do. It's a quicker method of curing than the normal method."

"She's been passed over several times for promotion to journeyman" said Borint "So I said to father, why not let her go to the Weyr, where leathercrafters are appreciated even if she doesn't Impress? She's very good and she ought to have been made up to journeyman more'n a turn ago, but she'll be lucky to make journeyman 'til she's in her mid twenties and expected to be wed by then."

Iaela flushed.

"My brother's very partisan" she said.

"Quite right too" said Kit. "If I had a brother I'd expect him to be as partisan about me; you appreciate him, Iaela! KEET!" she shouted for a weyrbred boy who ran over. "Keet, this is Borint, he's a good lad and I wager he's good in a fight, so you show him about."

"Yes Harper" said Keet obediently. Keet had turned down a Harper apprenticeship on the grounds that he would rather be a sailor; but he played with the Harper group occasionally, having a raw talent and enough interest to develop it as far as a hobby level. T'rin had been heard to say that it was a shame in some respects that a decent talent was untrained, but that it would be an equal shame to spoil the boy's pleasure in music by forcing it when he wished no more than joy from it. Whether the boy had grown out of wanting to be a sailor Kitiara did not know; but he was making no difficulty about standing as a candidate. Bronze Rider V'gion had taken him sailing several times, so either that was enough to satisfy his wishes, or had cured him of it!

She turned back to the new female candidate.

"If you make fancy goods" she said to Iaela "Would you consider contributing some of what you make to the craft stall the Weyr has to support orphans?"

Iaela looked surprised.

"I – well, yes, I suppose so" she said. "Though I'd like to be able to make a few marks for myself if I may!"

"Oh yes!" said Kit "Most of us sell or barter stuff around the Weyr, or sell to visiting marksmen as well as giving some to the stall. Most people give a tenth of what they make; some give it in marks if they're good at dickering with marksmen. H'llon puts in a huge amount and the Harperweyr puts in most of its simple instruments and some bigger more complex ones from T'rin and H'gey. Specially now H'llon's invented a machine, similar to the one that impresses marks, to cut out simple shapes from veneer, and the hole in the main piece to put them in. It's pretty, good quality but relatively quick and easy to produce."

Iaela brightened.

"Do you think it would cut leather? If so I could use appliqué for richer looking goods, or decorative holes if they're not big enough to pull."

"We can but ask! I reckon it will – that's a really good idea, Iaela!"

"Would – would it have to be set patterns? Or could I design my own?"

"Another designer? Excellent!" said Kitiara. "I should think if the pattern is feasible, H'llon could have it made up, but you'd have to pay off the cost of the die before you can profit, you know, so you'd have to be careful to design some shape you'd use over and over."

Iaela nodded.

"That makes sense. I'll think hard and be careful. Are there then other designers?"

"Yes, Mireela likes to design and sew clothes; she weaves a little too, though she's not strictly speaking fully weavertrained, her Hold has a weavercraft Hall. She's working with Geriana, the weyrartist; would you be interested in studying with her?"

"Yes, I'd like that" said Iaela. "I reckon this Mireela and I should get together and combine our crafts to produce matching slippers and belts to go with her dresses."

"Come right this way!" grinned Kit.

She had put Iaela down as a little shy, for although the girl made an effort she had the manner of one who stood back, and Kit suspected it was from being slapped down by misogynist tanners. However within ten minutes of greeting Mireela, Iaela was chatting away! Kitiara left them busy drawing on H'llon's sheets of paper, a luxury Iaela exclaimed over and Mireela, still delighted herself waxed enthusiastic about!

As Kitiara strolled towards the Harperweyr Halls – she was practising a tricky piece of music T'rin had written and had a few minutes spare time to put in extra practice on the big Hall harp – she was accosted by one of the male candidates. He was at least as old as she, and overtopped her by several inches so whilst Kitiara was not exactly nervous, for she know her worth in a scrap, she was wary. She was dressed in trews and her tunic was rumpled and soiled from lugging firestone, the occupation she had been engaged upon when she had greeted Iaela and her brother. She wondered if this youth realised she was a girl and wanted to importune her; or if he wanted to throw his weight around to an apparently younger boy.

She need not have worried.

He addressed her politely.

"Excuse me, senior apprentice, is it true that the Weyr had a Harper Hall that offers apprenticeship?"

"Certainly, to any that are talented enough" said Kit. "We're a small concern here; we can only afford to take people with real talent, and a desire to work hard, even if that means giving up their leisure time if they Impress. The Harper Hall at Fort can afford to take less talented youths and hope to develop hidden skills. Our main advantage is that we take the Impressed and girls."

The boy shrugged.

"What does sex matter if someone loves music? I – I HAVE to have music – would I be allowed to play and sing even if I couldn't qualify for an apprenticeship?"

"Of course!" said Kit indignantly. "What do you think we are? Lots of the weyrfolk play instruments, they're just not all quite Harper material, or don't want to put the time in."

"That answers that question. What do I think you are? I don't know. I can only base it on my previous experience of people."

"Seaholdbred?"

He shook his head.

"No, Holdbred inland; a minor Hold, my father is chief groom to the Holder's runnerbeasts. Singing and whistling at work was one thing, but wanting to waste time taking music seriously wasn't allowed. I might have found it more interesting than the needs of the runners if I persisted" he said with heavy irony "Only it was too late. I already do."

"How old are you?" asked Kit.

"Eighteen turns."

She pulled a face.

"It's old to start an apprenticeship. You may not make journeyman – unless you work like stink. Mind, H'gey did, to catch up from his time flat on his back with a broken spine."

"He's the one with the very young Blue, isn't he?" asked the boy.

"Yes, I'm his weyrmate" said Kit proudly.

The boy visibly drew back.

"I – I'll try not to be prejudiced" he said "But…well, we're taught that such things are wrong."

"Wrong? It's like being married!" said Kit, exasperatedly forgetting that she looked like a boy at the time. "We were to be married, but then he went and Impressed, so now I'm his weyrmate instead, and hoping to Impress too!"

He stared.

"You're a girl?"

Kit smote her forehead, laughing suddenly.

"I see why you were taken aback!" she said "Though we treat boys with boys as regular marriages too, you know!"

He laughed ruefully.

"Well, I was taken aback because I didn't want to be taken aback as you might say!" he said.

"I like your way with words" grinned Kit. "Let's find L'gal, he's acting-master and final arbiter."

"I didn't like to approach a Bronze Rider. It seemed….contumelious."

"I DO like your way with words" approved Kit. "You and I'linne and F'lim between you will drive half the weyr insane!"

L'gal questioned Toragar, as the boy's name was, and tested him; and declared him suitable.

"There's another couple of candidates I noticed with perfect pitch, sir" ventured Toragar.

"Oh? One of them's young Keet I'm guessing."

"Yes sir"

"Keet had the option to join the Harperweyr; that's still open, but he sees music as a hobby" said L'gal. "It's his choice and his right; no-one has the right to force him."

"He'd play another tune if he was forbidden to make too much of music even as a hobby" said Toragar resentfully.

L'gal shrugged.

"Maybe. Maybe not; he doesn't LIVE music. He's just good at it. Who's the other you mention?"

"A Craftbred lad, Cagenar from the Smithcraft. He's not very serious about anything, or seems not to be, but I guess it might just be a cover."

L'gal nodded.

"I'll talk to him" he said. "I hope you won't be making any issue that there are much younger kids way more advanced then you?"

Toragar shook his head.

"So long as I have a chance to LEARN I'd not care about being surpassed by watch whers!"

L'gal duly went to find Cagenar; but spoke first to R'gar about the lad.

"The boy has a tendency to like practical jokes" growled the Weyrlingmaster. "At fourteen turns one might have hoped he'd have grown out of it; but they keep them young in the crafthalls. Oh, nothing harmful, the flour on top of a door, apple pie beds, treacle on the seat of a necessary….he's not a bad boy and when he heard about the childhold he turned his fertile imagination elsewhere and offered to cast simple metal things in white metal or bronze to decorate other items. He's been making beads I believe mostly; I sent him to work with H'llon and his machines to keep the little horror out of trouble. He's happy working hard; I think his mischief is caused by a high intellect with insufficient stimulation. I though if anyone could cure that it's H'llon."

L'gal laughed.

"And it might be that H'llon's equally fertile brain and new inventions might be more of a draw to an active boy than music; but I'm told he has perfect pitch, so I thought I'd see if he wanted testing."

Cagenar listened thoughtfully when L'gal made his offer.

"I would like to know more about music" he said "There's a lot of regularity and mathematics in it, isn't there?"

L'gal hid a grin. Another one!

"There is indeed" he said "And T'rin's our expert on mathematics in music, as well as a fine tune writer."

"And Harpers do more than music, don't they – they go around and find stuff out and right wrongs and things, and such?" asked Cagenar.

"They do."

"So if I learned some woodcrafting to make instruments, and a bit more from H'llon I could pass as a smith or a woodcrafter as needed to go and find things out if I didn't Impress, couldn't I?"

"You could indeed, young Cagenar" L'gal was pleased at the quick wits of this young man!

"I'd like that. Of course, now I shall be disappointed if I'm not good enough" the boy gave a rueful smile.

"If you've so good a grasp of what it takes to be a Harper, you're good enough" said L'gal dryly "And it's a bonus if you happen to be good at music too."

Cagenar was good enough.

He was no T'rin or F'lim, but he had good solid talent as good as any who might expect to make journeyman on music alone.

The Harperweyr now had sixteen members, plus its support staff of Alessa, Siselly and two drudges, Kelita and Sinda, who had volunteered to work at the Weyr. L'gal was glad that D'nor and B'lan were always on hand to enlarge the Harper complex!

Cagenar too proved useful to H'gey in his instrument making workshop, bringing knowledge of metal working and how to make appropriate tools, certainly sufficient for the relatively small amount of metal working needed in making the fitments of instruments; though H'gey must still send to the Smithcrafters to have wire drawn for harp strings as yet!

Once two candidates had been installed as apprentice Harpers, a few others asked to try out; but none were of sufficient calibre to make it worth their while, as L'gal kindly pointed out. One boy, Nemic, came close; but L'gal felt him a boy likely to skimp on practice, for his chord changing was sloppy. It was not from poor teaching but from poor practice; and L'gal was experienced enough to recognise the difference. Everything about Nemic was a little skimped, a little rushed. L'gal felt that, whilst he might settle down in a formal teaching environment like the Harper Hall - and chased up by a tartar like Master Morshal – he would find it easier to skimp in the informal Harperweyr where self discipline was the order of the day. He said so.

"You're very young, Nemic" he said, for the boy was only just of age to stand. "If you don't Impress, I see no reason not to recommend you to the Harper Hall; for after a few turns of apprenticeship there you could return here if you wanted."

Nemic considered briefly.

"I'd rather be with dragons than be trained" he said.

L'gal nodded.

"Think about it, however, if you don't Impress" he said "And if you do Impress, we'll see if you learn more application and self discipline in a couple of turns, and leave the possibility of apprenticeship open. There's no hurry."

"Thank you for hearing me sir" said Nemic. He was bitterly disappointed, but knew he could NOT make himself work as hard as the harpers expected him too; and there were always dragons.

"It's no trouble" said L'gal kindly.

If the boy were goaded into working harder at his hobby playing, L'gal thought he could always tell the lad that he had changed his mind. If not? If not, time was on the boy's side, and if nothing else he would always have a pleasant hobby.

Kitiara made a point of checking out the other Craftbred candidates, in order to speak to any wearing apprentice knots that might have a skill to help the childhold with donations of work. Unfortunately, the majority of the apprentices seemed to have skills that she could not see as being much use! Ellon was nominally a smith, but specialised in starcraft, useful to the Weyr and already sent by R'gar to work with Geriana to make star visualisations for night travel. Dwissom was a a beastcrafter and already banished from helping with the Weyr herds by Jarla, Asada and Tyasha for slapping a small weyrbred child. The little boy was fostered by the Weyr, strictly speaking, small Dortol, the youngest brother of juvenile cotholder Ramina; and at five turns old able to do some helping with the beasts even if his help was not extensive.

"We don't have bullies around here" Jarla had said, coldly. "Dortol knows what he is doing: and the Beastcraft way obviously does NOT take into account the specific conditions prevailing here; and nor are you used, I think, to the intense cold of High Reaches. The child keeps those bovines running about periodically under MY orders to stop their breaths freezing them to the fodder. As he told you, though you would not listen. You could have taken him to ask an adult whether he told truth rather than hit the poor little mite so hard the bruise is already coming out."

Jarla would herself have attacked anyone she thought was ill treating animals; but not a small child! Such would need to be corrected if acting improperly, but not with a blow like that, that sent the child flying! She admitted to herself that her own temper was short at the moment – the girls were taking it in turns to rise every couple of hours through the night to run the cat le about to prevent their breath freezing overnight – but there things even the most even tempered person must surely take issue with! Besides, the girl had already seen Dwissom try to throw his not inconsiderable weight around the other candidates; the boy was burly and, the privately told the other girls, looked like he'd been sired by some prime bullock!

Kitiara sighed over these two apprentices and looked further. The vintner might be promising, in the long term. She approached the boy Lesell.

"Have you heard about the childhold and the efforts of our craftsmen to keep a stall?" she asked.

The boy grinned ruefully.

"Yes I have" he said "And I wish I could help. Problem is, the reason I'm here is because the Master was threatening to drown me in a vat of my own sour wine. I'm afraid I just don't have the touch."

"Oh dear" said Kit.

He shrugged and pulled a face.

"Yes, I'm a sad disappointment to my father; but if I don't Impress, that Smithcraft lad says if I make vinegar he can use it to power some machine, so I guess my training wasn't entirely wasted."

"Well perhaps you should also try out some of the other crafts we have" suggested Kit "Woodcraft or pottery; and we've a glasscrafter now Tobari, brother of Green Rider J'nara, has come."

"I'll think about that: thanks" said Lesell.

The other tannercrafter had already been approached by Borint; and that left a builder. Kitiara sighed. At least the builder, Ferened, had been co-opted by D'nor and B'lan to help enlarge the Harperweyr so his skills were not wasted!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

T'lana personally greeted a youth brought by the High Reaches Hold duty rider.

"Darel! How are you? Is this your brother?" indicating the youth who closely resembled Darel.

Darel nodded.

"This is Shimon. We – we hoped to stand as candidates."

"How wonderful! You never were scared by Mirrith's size when you and Tesso found the body of the glasscrafter's brother" T'lana referred to an incident reported by Lord Bargen's son Tesso and Darel, who was the boy's milk brother. She added "You must still be in age then – I guess it must be close though?"

Darel nodded.

T'lana gave him a sharp look.

"No trouble, I hope that makes you change from a steward's training?" she asked bluntly.

Darel shook his head.

"No, weyrwoman; and Tesso and I are still good friends. It – it's several things."

T'lana raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want to tell me?"

"Certainly – I've nothing to hide, weyrwoman. Partly it's my mother; she means well, but she keeps hinting I ought to be getting plum jobs or gifts for being Tesso's milk brother and frankly it's a bit embarrassing. If Tesso is made to feel he should be grateful for sharing what my mother had in abundance, that I had nothing to do with save by existing, it'll put a strain on our friendship. Partly it's because I feel…..restless: as though I want more from life than figures and inventories. Running a Hold is challenging I know but….I think I could face Thread, well, Tesso and I always walk sweep, so it seemed the right thing to do. And partly it's a girl."

"Ah?" T'lana prompted.

Darel shrugged.

"It's all rather silly really. I started seeing her first; and it really opened my eyes when I realised she was really wanting to get to know my milk brother. He's the bigger catch. But she wants to keep me dangling in case Tesso doesn't come up to scratch. And that DOES threaten to come between us. Tesso's afraid I might try to take her back because she flirts at me. I've told him I don't want her, but he doesn't really believe me because he's so besotted he thinks any man must want her. And he won't listen to sense that she's no good because he thinks it's a ploy to get her back; and it led to our first real quarrel" he added miserably, sighing. "So I thought I'd come right away. And if I am too old, or not good enough, you always need good administrators, right? And I could be a logicator."

"That's definitely true" said T'lana "And I'll do what I can for Tesso – who's a nice boy – by seeing if his eyes aren't opened when a Bronze Rider flirts with that little madam and she shows her true colours. B'zon's unattached, and he's also the Weyrleader's son, which has to count….I'd have thought Lord Bargen would have considered you more than capable to go check out Holder Deever."

Darel pulled a face.

"Oh I'm far too young for that, apparently" he said "Regardless that I'm turned twenty, and that you've been solving crimes for turns and you're not much older than me, are you Weyrwoman?"

T'lana grinned.

"I'm twenty one" she said. "Oh dear, I suppose he still remembers you toddling."

Darel nodded.

"As I'm not long turned twenty I thought I'd see if the dragons thought I was suitable" he said. "Lord Bargen DOES value me" he added hastily "But there is that in what you say; I've been like a nephew to him in many ways as his son's milk brother and he has forgotten that we've both grown up."

"It is a bad habit parents have" said T'lana gravely. "My first fosterling Sagarra throws it up at me constantly. She's eleven going on twenty – when she isn't being about six" she explained cheerfully.

Darel laughed.

"They do that for several turns around that age. Shimon is past all that, he's sixteen."

"And my apologies, Shimon, for not greeting you properly" said T'lana, smiling warmly at the youth.

Shimon smiled shyly.

"No apology necessary, Weyrwoman. I've heard a lot about you so I feel I know you a bit – but you've never met me of course."

"And I've only met her once or twice" said Darel "I'm overwhelmed that you recognise me, Weyrwoman."

"Heh, well, it's T'lana to old friends" said T'lana "Though I tend to be more formal with most candidates until I know them better."

"Then 'Weyrwoman' you will remain to me, ma'am" said Darel "For I'll not step out of line with the others or make assumptions based on my age or past acquaintances."

"Well, your age gives you some rights; but I'll not dispute your choice" said T'lana. "Modesty amongst candidates is a becoming virtue so long as it doesn't go too far. Go and find R'gar and get settled in; and watch out for Cagenar. There's no vice in the boy but he has a fine line in pranks and jokes and believes that he invented the dead fish handshake."

"We'll watch out" said Darel. "The best way to deal with jokers is to laugh at their jokes, but not too much, and hide any irritation you feel. That way they don't see you as fair game."

T'lana felt that he was giving advice to his younger brother as much as showing her that he knew how to deal with such a problem!

Darel and Shimon were not the only candidates to come from High Reaches Hold; though that was hardly surprising from so large a Major Hold. Lesell the vintner came from the winecraft hall based there; and there were two other boys too.

Menessan was the son of a foremen who oversaw a lot of the internal chores, and he was inclined to be bossy, especially to Merv, the other High Reaches boy. Darel soon put a stop to that, pointing out sharply that all candidates counted equally to weyr and dragons too; and that each had as equal a chance as the other, save that dragons abhorred bullying.

Menessan took it from his Hold's steward's son; and was shocked to be accused of bullying. He had not realised that his bossiness had gone far enough to affect Merv's sense of self worth!

R'gar always liked having a few steady older candidates; and Darel was quickly promoted to candidate-second, helping the Weyrlingmaster. Generally speaking the candidates were not so young as they might sometimes be, only half a dozen at the lower age limit of twelve turns, and many of them sixteen or over.

"Sometimes it just goes that way" as R'gar said.

One of the younger candidates was NOT to the liking of Kitiara's friend Ishelle; nor to Journeyman Woodcrafter Bronze Rider H'llon.

The boy Stoffer had been banned from three different woodcraft disciplines for carelessness; and dangerous carelessness at that, effectively ending his apprenticeship. Master Bendarek had permitted him to work with craft marksmen, but as soon as he was of age, Stoffer had asked to come to the Weyr.

"It's only because our Elissa left this weyr for her craft" said H'llon "Or he'd go to Benden – even if he thought of it, which he might not – as he strictly speaking should do. He had no right to importune Ch'sseri and ask him to bring him here."

Ishelle flushed slightly, remembering how she had nearly made a total fool of herself over not realising that Ch'sseri and D'vind were lovers; the start of Elissa's tentative friendship towards her as a result of a frank discussion later in private.

"I suppose he thought it's sort of the woodcrafter home weyr with Elissa and Telfer and you" she said.

"He hoped for a soft option!" said H'llon grimly.

It was unlike H'llon to be so censorious; and Ishelle looked startled.

H'llon shrugged.

"I've heard about him from Elissa….and from Gerney, and from other kin, even Kisra. He's a pain because he doesn't listen, doesn't concentrate and isn't averse to trying to shift the blame."

"Chances are then he won't Impress" said Kit, brightly, in the Woodcraft cavern to steam a length of wood to bend for a gitar.

"And we're stuck with him until he's had his three chances – which he can spin out over the next eight turns!" said H'llon. "He'd better not wear woodcrafter knots is all, for I'll tan his hide for bringing the craft into disrepute!"

"He wouldn't surely, would he?" Ishelle was shocked. She had discarded her own apprentice knots as a candidate, knowing her own woodcrafting efforts barely scraped adequate.

"Gerney says the marksman he was working with was displeased with Stoffer's lack of total honesty" said H'llon. "If he's dishonest about one thing, not just lying to get out of trouble, he'll be dishonest about other things too."

"Well" said Kit "There's not a lot we can do, save watch him."

"True" said H'llon. "He's very young of course; I suppose he might improve."

"I'll point Borint at him" said Kit.

The worst of the winter had passed; in the valleys spring was starting. The Weyr was still cold, but not so numbingly cold, and the cattle no longer had to be run about to save their lives. Snowfall was still frequent and heavy however, to the delight of young dragons and young boys – and some girls – alike. One of the major tasks R'gar faced was keeping candidates and weyrlings and their snowy pranks out of the way of Riders returning from fighting Thread in those places it was not cold enough to freeze.

The Riders of High Reaches hated this time of turn. At higher altitudes Thread froze to blackdust, crackdust; but warmer air currents rose from some isolated, sheltered and verdant valleys. Warmer conditions prevailed as well as over Nabol's lower plains, that lay to the extreme east of the area of responsibility to the Weyr; and most of Tillek to the West was warmed by temperate air from the sea. As well as Thread there was a strong possibility of encountering penetrating sleet, chapping faces wet and windblown; and of course there was the dragonrider's worst enemy, wind.

Wind could force the smaller dragons off station, even blowing them into patches of Thread if it were gusty: and the wind speed and direction between the main fighting wings and the Queens' wing could be radically different, making co-ordination difficult, even with T'lana's ability to hear all dragons. Tempers were short, especially the time Thread fell over Tillek in the small hours of the morning in half a gale carrying ice shards and – the Riders swore – fish.

"Nonsense!" laughed Keerana, handing out klah.

"Nonsense? Then what the crackdust is this?" demanded M'kel, feeling in his collar and pulling out a small packtail.

Keerana was half inclined to think M'kel was playing a joke, but the number of Riders nodding vociferously put paid to that concept!

"It's a phenomenon well known to fisherfolk" said Y'lara "- thanks, Keerana" – as she accepted klah "To rain fish. It's to do with waterspouts I think, scooping them right out of the sea. I didn't know they could go that high. None of us on the female wing went fishing involuntarily."

Enough fish were duly gathered from folds of clothing to make a respectable number of pies; and Keerana promised fish pie for lunch as revenge against the creatures for causing her Riders such discomfort.

"She's laughing at us" said H'llon suspiciously.

"Now would I do that, Bronze Rider?"

"Yes" said M'kel, kissing Keerana on the cheek "And it's probably for our own good for getting huffy about it. But fish in addition to sleet and Thread? Can you blame us? It's no fun being whacked in the face by a packtail, I can tell you!"

The Blue Rider did have a nasty graze to testify to the roughness of the fish's scales!

Keerana laughed.

"No, I don't blame you, not when you put it that way. Forgive me, H'llon?"

H'llon kissed her cheek too.

"Only if you make a really tasty pie" he laughed.

H'llon had born the brunt of that Fall. It was difficult fighting Thread in the dark, even when the moons shone. Cloud cover gusting across them made light uncertain; and H'llon and those able to sense Thread – a couple of Blue Riders, including M'kel – had been moved from their normal positions to fly point, flaming with flame throwers as well as dragon breath on sheer instinct. H'llon and Melth had taken some Threadscore, though it was not serious.

"Next hatching I'm going to get Ramina to stand" said T'lana, speaking of the child cotholder, Dortol's sister, whose ability to sense Thread had been the stimulus to H'llon mentioning his own talents in that area. "With her up there and me co-ordinating we'll have a better chance of avoiding injuries."

"Queens don't fly main wing!" protested T'bor.

"Dragonriders do what dragonriders have to do" said T'lana. "we've got the best record of any Weyr because we all break custom – and not a few rules – and try new things. And is it surprising? We have the crankiest weather on all Pern, so it's perfectly reasonable that we should be the crankiest weyr. No one else gets falls of fish!"

T'bor laughed. He was quite relaxed these days over having the crankiest Weyr.

"There is something in that" he admitted "And co-ordinating those who have extraordinary senses helps; but I defy you to find someone who senses fish!"

There was much hilarity!

The story spread around the Weyr of course; it was a great joke.

Several weyrlings approached H'llon and asked if they should walk sweep with a frying pan, salt and pepper.

They had their ears boxed; and thought it worth it for the look on the Bronze Rider's face.

Naturally some wag changed the traditional vow 'through Fog, Fall and Fire' to 'through Fog, Fall and Fish'!

It was generally acknowledged that the best weyrling follow up to the fish incident was with the snow fish. Candidates and recently Impressed and younger children alike laboured under the direction of builder-candidate Ferened - whose idea it was – to make a snow sculpture of a fish, fully a length long, the top being detailed by flying dragonets and boys standing on their dragonets' shoulders. It was a masterpiece, and even the fish-beset Riders admired it. Geriana sketched it; which was the only thing left of the masterpiece when thaw and wind between them cleared the Bowl entirely of snow overnight.

After the snow was sleet and rain and concomitant mud; and the youngsters spent much of their time undercover. Tempers ran hot, and R'gar broke up several fights and one food riot.

"Teach them to dance, Weyrlingmaster" suggested Kitiara "It'll use up surplus energy, give them the idea of moving in sets in a co-ordinated way as a basic start to formation flying and keep them fit too."

R'gar lifted an eyebrow.

"You know how to dance I suppose?"

"Of course, Weyrlingmaster" said Kit.

"Good. Well volunteered, weyrlingdancemistress"

Kit stared in horror; then laughed.

"I DID rather talk myself into that, didn't I?"

"You did. T'rin will help; he fancies himself as a dancer. And it's such a good idea I think it should be part of the Harper duties from now on in inclement weather."

Kitiara brightened at that decree; giving orders to assorted youngsters who had already Impresses as well as to fellow candidates seemed a cheek; but to have it a Harper duty, and backed up by a Blooded Blue Rider would help!

Some of the boys hated the idea of dancing, of course; the older ones were quickly brought round by T'rin's wink and whispered,

"It'll help you to pull!" – but the younger ones were less persuadable. Predictably, Stoffer made the worst hash of it of all, for half listening to half the instructions.

T'rin roared at the boy, inches from Stoffer's face and with all the power of his Harper-trained lungs.

"And if you pull a stunt like that on dragonback, you kill yourself, your dragon and half your wing, you lazy little dimglow! No I take that back, I refuse to insult dimglows! You're not stupid, Stoffer, just plain inept and lazy!"

Stoffer looked suitably chastened; and listened for a few measures before he slipped back into his bad habits.

"I could strangle that kid" T'rin confided to Kit., as the Harpers relaxed together.

"Join most of the masters at the woodcrafter hall" she said dryly, rapidly filling him in on what H'llon had told them. T'rin shook his head sadly.

"To have been a failure once already at his age – twice really if he got thrown out by the marksman too. I'll do my best with him, I suppose. I hate failing with pupils."

Kit pulled a face.

"Even the Masterharper said you won't succeed with all – H'gey got down about how awful Lesara was. Stoffer really doesn't seem to care – about anything! I guess if anyone could find out what he does care about we might get somewhere. But even someone as stubborn as Borint told me that the kid made him want to stuff his head down the necessary – his own head – and release the water chute."

"Don't dishearten me too much" said T'rin. "I'll try talking to him. There has to be SOMETHING!"

Kit privately wondered if there really was anything!

If anyone could find it she backed T'rin or H'gey to be the one!

She smiled across at her lover, filled with warmth for him: for, unable to join in with the dancing, H'gey had produced the music with pipes.

H'gey smiled back.

He loved her so much – and he was glad she was recovered from her infatuation for T'rin! H'gey had no pangs of jealousy watching Kit and T'rin talking and laughing together – for he knew it was just friendship.

He looked forward to her snuggling next to him at night!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

T'rin called a meeting of the senior Harpers, R'gar, T'lana and H'llon.

"The question is, what to do about Stoffer" he said succinctly.

"Sausages?" suggested F'lim.

"You said what?" demanded T'rin.

"Make the boy into sausages so at least he does one useful thing in his life" explained F'lim.

"Huh" said T'rin "He'd likely poison anyone who ate him. Right, having considered the tempting and silly answer can we now get to the practical?"

"He's just so disinterested in everything" said R'gar. "He's off dreaming half the time, though whether he's hatching firelizards in the sky or just _Between _ between the ears I've no idea."

"Kit and I reckoned he doesn't care about anything; no passion at all" said T'rin "So he doesn't listen."

"He does care about wood" put in H'llon "But unfortunately not enough to listen about that either."

"WAIT!" said Kit "Wasn't it about safety rules that he didn't listen?"

"Well yes, but that's the most important…." H'llon began.

"I see what she means!" interrupted H'gey " – sorry H'llon – he loves WOOD, but he's too immature to understand the safety implications and so sees the safety rules as boring and irrelevant rules made for the sake of making rules!"

"I'm sure the woodcraft Masters explained the importance of safety" said H'llon stiffly "A boy of ten turns should be capable of such basic understanding."

"I'm sure they explained well enough, H'llon" said H'gey "And you say he should be capable; but what if he wasn't capable of concentrating – unless it was about wood itself? If the rules weren't about wood, how quickly did he shut off? Did he even HEAR how important they were? Or did he just think it some silly grown-up preoccupation?"

H'llon scratched his head.

"I suppose there might be something in what you say….in that case he was mentally too young for apprenticeship, though my sister's no older and far more sensible; has been for turns."

"She's one of your kin, H'llon dear one" said T'lana "And takes the rules and the way things should be done very seriously. As Serelis has had cause to take safety seriously; and Radall delighted enough to be wanted, and Diccon too. A lot of apprentices, even as old as twelve turns, are, shall we say, a little….lackadaisical ….about rules that don't suit them. Stoffer, by the sound of it, just doesn't seem to even comprehend that they apply to him."

"He knows enough to tell lies of convenience" growled R'gar.

"There's not a lot we can do then?" sighed T'rin "If he doesn't hear what is inconvenient?"

"Let him carve" said H'gey. "Give him old tools and lumps of wood and let him free carve. If he loves wood he'll turn out something creditable which will give him success to work on instead of failure; and if he cuts himself a few times because he won't take safety advice, pain will be a better teacher."

H'llon nodded.

"I can do that" he said "providing that he doesn't think it means he's reinstated and can wear apprentice knots."

"That must be made clear" said R'gar. "If he has something that makes him happy, maybe he'll concentrate on other things better. Though I can't say I'm sanguine about that."

"At least it'll keep him busy, dear one" said T'lana "Not hanging around with his mouth at half mast waiting to be fallen over. And it may, as H'gey says, give him successes that we can build on. We need to play this by ear, if I may borrow a Harper-based phrase."

"Feel free" grinned T'rin. "Good; that's a stage more positive than I thought possible about the child. Thanks, H'llon; thanks, H'gey."

H'llon shrugged.

"I hate to see anything or anyone go to waste. And if he DOES shape up I will see Master Bendarek about reinstating him. For an apprentice, that's easier to do than, say, a Master" he added in grim satisfaction.

Those who knew H'llon knew that, when Master Batol had been demoted to journeyman for almost causing the suicide of little Beka, H'llon had flown to the Woodcrafter Hall and had comprehensively beaten him up.

There had been three buffeting blows; one for the bullying Batol had inflicted on H'llon himself as the apprentice Hallon; one for his brother; and one for his little sister. Gerney had already given the man knocks on Beka's behalf.

It never had occurred to H'llon that as a Bronze Rider he Ranked a Master and could have had it out with Batol before on equal terms. As it was craft business, he went by craft rank only.

Batol would never be reinstated, however good a tool master he might be. But Bendarek would respect H'llon's opinion if he ever felt it worth putting the case to reinstate Stoffer!

Again, Kit thought it unlikely.

She was convinced that Stoffer found it impossible to comprehend consequences. His very lies were poor and aimed at immediate avoidance of trouble; or, she presumed, the increase in price of what he tried to sell. He seemed to have no concept that his lies would find him out or indeed to even see beyond the immediate future. Such people were very difficult to handle!

But they had to try.

T'arla's Frith had risen for the second time during the meeting; and had been flown again, unsurprisingly, by L'gal's Bronze Solpeth, the reason neither of those Harpers had attended! The couple were happily engaged together, echoing their dragons' passions; but the riders of disappointed suitors were less happy, stumbling from T'arla's weyr in the Harperweyr complex. A Blue Rider came face to face with Kit.

"Well, girl, another harperlass will do me fine" he said, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her towards him.

Kit slumped slightly, letting him think she was cowed, in a trick T'rin had taught her turns before; then slammed her head upwards with all its force.

It rocked the Rider; and his nose was bleeding; but he did not let go!

Kit was suddenly very fearful.

Suddenly a fist crashed into the side of the Rider's head; and he went down.

H'gey was standing there – several feet from his chair!

Kit turned to him and threw her arms about him.

"It's all right, love" he said soothingly "It's all right."

"You must sit down!" she murmured against his chest.

"With your love to lean on I have all the support I need" he said "Though if you'll let me get an arm out so I can back up your love with the wall as a prop it surely would be easier."

Kit giggled hysterically and disentangled herself from him, glancing at the unconscious Blue Rider.

"Ought I to put him on his side?" she asked.

"I suppose so" said H'gey. "Personally I don't care that much if he swallows his own tongue or drowns on vomit; but I do care about his dragon."

The Blue Rider was starting to moan; so Kitiara hesitated to go too close.

H'gey limped down the wall towards him and prodded him with a foot.

Slightly unfocused eyes opened.

"The thing about a Weyr – old boy" said H'gey, conversationally, using Z'kan's faintly offensive term of address "- is that sex is consentient unless two dragons are involved. Now I know you're a bit dazed from being a failed suitor – old boy – but as you were still persisting after Kitiara made it abundantly plain she wasn't interested that goes beyond mating flight befuddlement."

The Blue Rider spat blood and struggled for speech; but H'gey went on.

"NEVER assume I'd not defend my girl just because I'm crippled. I'd put myself back in bed for life to defend her if I had to. But y'know what? I'd rather do the same to you. It wouldn't send your dragon _Between_ but it'd spoil your attempts to rape girls. Now beat it, and I won't report you. Unless I ever find you doing anything like it again."

"You have no right…." The Blue Rider started to rise.

"I have EVERY right to defend my weyrmate – unless you prefer, as she's a candidate to involve her kin? You want to explain to Lord Groghe that you tried to rape his granddaughter? Or to explain to T'bor why you've so damaged Weyr-Hold relations? Candidates have no Rank within the Weyr, but they still have rights, old boy. And she'd have rights if she was born a drudge too!"

The Blue Rider knew he was in the wrong; he contented himself with glowering at H'gey and slinking off, nursing a painful face.

"Ooohh H'gey. Will he try to get back at us?" asked Kit.

H'gey shrugged.

"Chances are, once the dragonlust madness has left him completely, he'll realise he's been an idiot and let the matter drop, avoiding us both" he said "Especially if we don't mention it to him or act like anything is wrong. You must be brave, love, and treat him with ordinary courtesy if your paths cross. He's not himself. And I can't fault his taste!"

Kit managed a weak grin at this sally; and nodded. Riders should not fight. If it could be passed over quietly without comment then all well and good.

Time enough to worry about vindictive reprisals if they happened.

"I reckon I could ask H'llon to make me crutches from now on" suggested H'gey as Kit wheeled him out into the Bowl.

"So long as you're certain….you need to use your leg muscles, but not overuse them. Like dragonets and flight muscles" said Kitiara.

H'gey smiled grimly.

"At least the consequences of overtiring my legs are not so dire as the consequences of straining flight muscles…. I recall the weyrling who died at Fort, and though I was resentful and angry at the world and a scamp called Tyrin I still felt a pang. I pretended not to of course, scoffed at the weyrling outwardly….."

Kit leaned forward to kiss his forehead.

"Part of you was angry, I wager, at the weyrling because if you'd been so lucky you'd not have so wasted the chance?"

H'gey considered.

"You know, I reckon you might have something there! I always thought dragons beautiful and magnificent; though I'd not have said so in case anyone thought me weak and soppy."

"I like soppy" said Kit. "From you, anyway. And you're not weak. You're so strong to turn your life around! That's what attracted me to you. Oh, hello, is that another candidate arriving?"

A Green dragon came in to land with a pretty, if rather vapid, young girl clinging scared to the Rider. Her clothing was poor and her face a mass of bruises on one side. She limped slightly as the young Green Rider helped her down. The lad – if he was much older than fourteen turns Kit would have been surprised – looked around for some authority figures and his gaze lighted upon two Harpers with distinct relief.

"Harper Blue Rider….Apprentice" he said "This is Keebie, she's looking for someone called Tyasha who I think is in the Weyr?"

Kit nodded.

"She's a candidate. Have you come as a candidate too, Keebie?"

The girl shook her head quickly.

"Oh! NO! I - couldn't! But I wanted to get away…."

Tyasha came running up.

"Keebie? Have you decided to stand as well?" she asked, rather doubtfully. "What has that porcine done to you?"

The girl shook her head again.

"I'm not brave like you" she said "Only you were kind to me, showing me how to do things properly and warning me against Holder Deever…I'm so sorry I never listened. Real sorry! He – he blamed ME for his not listening to you tell him about the egg" she dissolved into tears "And he punched and kicked me when he got back and called me such hard names! And he said my wages should be stopped to pay for an egg, and I don't know what to do, and I'm afraid I might be with child!"

"Not any more" said Kit, dryly.

"I – I beg your pardon, My Lady?"

"You just came _Between_. If you were with child, you aren't now. We'd better get you to Calla; I'm told it's not a pleasant experience."

Indeed the girl Keebie was very white; and suddenly went grey and clutched her belly as the spasm of violent miscarriage hit her. _Between_ tended to make more unpleasant miscarriages than abortifacient herbs; but it was more certain.

Kit and Tyasha looked at each other; and made a chair of their arms to carry Keebie to the nearest caverns of the Harperweyr.

"Don't just STAND there, get Calla!" said Kit to the young Green Rider, forgetting that he technically outranked her.

"Yes ma'am weyrwoman" he said automatically.

H'gey grinned.

"Best to be useful but not present for women's business, eh lad?"

"Oh yes sir!" agreed the boy fervently, deferring to H'gey's journeyman status more than to his higher ranking Impression colour!

With Calla in attendance in – as it happened – I'linne's room, the girl being happy to lend her bed and run for hot water and drying cloths, the young Green Rider came to talk to H'gey.

"It's not a happy Hold, sir" he said. "Though I can't say I blame Holder Deever for looking elsewhere for his recreation. His wife…." He shuddered. "They say she hasn't got out of bed for two turns she's so fat; she's just a mound of white quivering flesh, and she didn't stop chewing on sweetmeats all the time I was in the room explaining that one of her drudges wanted to go to the Weyr. This girl Keebie's an orphan; her aunt and uncle are strict to the point of unkindness, and she figured that the main Hold might be better than their cot. Thought her fortune was made when Holder Deever noticed her, poor silly chit!" he added with all the world weary cynicism only an adolescent can attain.

"I understand" said H'gey "That the lady got so fat in eating for comfort because of getting nothing but knocks and unkind words from her husband. Don't judge her too harshly, lad. You'll never be alone with your dragon to love you; she has nothing."

The boy's eyes widened in sympathy.

"I never thought about it" he whispered. "Poor lady! I suppose we can't do anything?"

H'gey shook his head.

"Weyr doesn't interfere with Hold. At least, not overtly. If she asked our aid that'd be different; but if she's so gross, I'm not sure a flight dragonback wouldn't kill her. Weight puts a strain on the heart; any shock can kill, and taking off can be a shock to the uninitiated."

The boy whistled.

"You learn something every day! But don't they say that Jora, the Queenrider at Benden at the end of the Interval was immensely fat? How did she fly?"

H'gey shrugged.

"By all accounts she didn't. It had got to a state where it was not actually expected that a Weyrwoman would actually RIDE her dragon; though you can guess that Lessa soon changed all that!"

"I guess so! I say, Deever's lady, Lady Fillata is gross. How did the Weyrleader…"

H'gey winked, beckoned him close and whispered,

"Slapped her on the thighs and rode in on the shock waves!"

The boy blushed violently but laughed uproariously!

Kitiara emerged before long.

"Keebie's feeling a little better now" she said. "She'd like to drudge for the Harperweyr because we've been kind to her and she likes music too. We can worry about how much she likes music another time."

H'gey nodded.

A cotholder's child was never likely to get the chance to develop any talents she might have. It was worth seeing if the girl was worth training; and if not formally as a Harper apprentice she could at least learn some music and playing techniques for her own satisfaction!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Keebie turned out to have above average musical ability, but not enough to make training her as an apprentice worth while in so small a Hall; not that this bothered her at all.

"I'd like to learn to make music, sir" she said to H'gey "But not to devote every waking hour to it. Though my little brother would, no doubt…"

"Your little brother? What's his name and how old is he?" asked H'gey.

"Kebit; he's just turned twelve" said Keebie.

H'gey brightened.

"Then he's eligible for Search" he said "And if he Impresses, well all well and good; and if not he can have an apprenticeship if he so desires."

"He will!" said Keebie "Uncle was always taking his belt to him for tuning when he should have been milking the ovines."

"Barbarian!" ssaid H'gey. "It's too common that attitude, alas. I'll get T'rin to pick him up."

Keebie's face lit up.

"Would you? Oh I'd be so grateful to think him safe from beatings!"

T'rin had relatively little trouble persuading Kebit's uncle to let the boy come on Search – not that he had much choice if the Searched individual was willing.

"He's idle and useless" complained the man "Wasting his time tuning and singing."

"If you'd only check my knots" said T'rin, mildly "You'll find that some of us don't find those activities a waste of time."

The man hawked and would have spat but for T'rin's expression; and the young man's charisma was such that he hastily swallowed his revolting gobbet.

"Oh aye, it's all very well if you've time to waste" he said.

T'rin's eyes sparked.

"Was it wasted time to keep the duty songs alive to try to keep the likes of YOU alive with the return of Thread? I think not. Is it a waste of time to teach the duty songs that tell you your rights so an overlord cannot oppress you the way Fax oppressed after he started killing Harpers? I think not again. Music for pleasure also brings relief from the hard grind; YOU may not dance at Gathers, but I wager plenty of your neighbours do, who'd think any who disapproved a miserable old killjoy" he said. "Well, you don't value the boy; I'm sure we shall. Even if he doesn't Impress, dragonmen are always willing, like the commons, to pay marks to those who can tune well and make new songs for them. In ten turns he'll be bringing in seven hundred a turn easily with training."

The cotholder opened his mouth in amazement; and a crafty, greedy look came into his eyes.

"Don't even think of it" said T'rin. "If the boy comes of his own free will it is his Right and you have no recourse to coercion, either from the Weyr or later from him. T'bor is his guardian now. Come out from where you're hiding boy – do you want to exercise your right to stand as a candidate?"

Kebit was a small, pale, blonde lad, colourless looking, a bit like his vapid-seeming sister.

When he spoke, T'rin gasped. His

"Yes sir I do" was in a voice even purer – T'rin thought – than his friend Shoris.

T'rin turned to the cotholder.

"You have a voice so pure, so beautiful in your ears and yet you never think to have it trained?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Eh? He ain't got much of a voice, can't call the herds too good."

The cotholder was as bewildered as T'rin.

There was never going to be any common ground here!

"I am going to write a cantata for that voice; and the Masterharper will hear him sing it" swore T'rin "And all the Lords Holder of the High Reaches will gasp in wonder at its purity. C'mon Kebit, get your things; we're off to the Weyr and straight into an apprenticeship for YOU!"

Kebit's eyes yearned.

"And may I tune?" he asked.

"I ORDER you to tune" said T'rin. "You will find it hard; you will work harder than any cotholder could understand, for there's basics you have never been taught; and your tunings will have to be worked over as you learn more" he recalled his own first days as an apprentice and how chagrined he had been at the roughness of his own tunes when he had come back to examine them later! "And as soon as you have settled you will play and sing for me whatever tunes you have made and I will write them down; and later you ill work them over."

T'rin had never seen so much joy on a child's face save at Impression!

Back in the Weyr, T'rin asked if Kebit had brought any instruments and what he played.

The boy hung his head.

"I made a pipe once, but uncle broke it" he said. "I – I just sing and whistle; I – I suppose I let you bring me under false pretences because I don't know any instrument."

"Then it'll be easier for those of us that teach you in that you'll have no bad habits to unlearn" said T'rin. "The love of music and the willingness to work is the main thing. And your voice is a magnificent instrument even if you never learn another."

"It's not strong; I'm sorry."

"Lad, will you stop being sorry for what your fool of an uncle sees as defects because he's got less sense than a new-hatched wherry!" said T'rin. "He knows less about music and voice training than I know about bovines; and all I know about bovines is that they have a leg at each corner and if you milk the wrong sex you get a shock!" that brought a giggle. T'rin went on "Strength of voice is in training and control – that L'gal will teach you – not in shouting. I'm GLAD you don't shout; we shan't have to train it out of you. In fact, with so wonderful a voice as yours, I'm tempted to make sure you have a foundation in the basics so you'll not be bullied at the Harper Hall – it's a little uncomfortable, I had no formal training when I started and it was very embarrassing – and take you direct to Master Shonagar, who is Pern's best voice Master. He'd weep with joy."

"Er, would he?"

"Oh yes. Pure clear voices are rare….sing for me now, lad, or la-la or whistle your tunes and I'll note them down."

T'rin was mindful of the hard time he had himself had when playing through all his own tunes for Master Domick; and he motioned to Kebit to rest regularly. He also sent Kullana – predictably eavesdropping – to fetch the lad a glass of water.

The tunes were good, really good. They were catchy and melodic; good dancing tunes for the most part, with the odd wistful, haunting air.

"You wrote that when you were wishing for something better, didn't you?" asked T'rin.

Kebit nodded.

"A travelling Harper had come to play at the winter butchering; I longed to go with him. But I dared not ask. And if I had asked I was afraid he'd not only say no but would tell my uncle and get me a beating for bothering him."

T'rin ruffled his hair.

"You can be my fosterling if you like kid" he said. "I've a lad a few turns younger that I foster, called Lyseder; he's like you, he has to tune. I think he's the better at tuning; but you have a magical voice and the sense to write music that will suit it with good words set to it. Very well, run along with apprentice Kullana, apprentice Kebit, and get Allessa to make you some knots; and then Kullana will introduce you around."

Kebit smiled shyly and let Kullana take his arm to lead him off.

"I suppose she'll learn some social amenities some day" murmured T'rin to himself. "Seventeen harpers and a support staff of five! who'd have thought it!

H'gey made the move to crutches; and, on Calla's advice, a leather back brace.

"I feel like a Lady Holder trying to conceal her middle aged spread!" he laughed as Kit laced him into it.

"Y'know, somehow you don't look like one" grinned Kit. "How's that?"

"Pull it a bit tighter near the bottom….that's lovely. The dull ache just suddenly disappears!" H'gey grinned beatifically at her.

"Your back is all right, isn't it?" she asked anxiously.

"All mended….Master Oldive told me that I'd get pain from the unaccustomed weight on it and that I'd probably never be entirely free of pain – and I bet he isn't either – but that there was no reason I should not regain a fairly full life. He suggested I should avoid serious mountain climbing and he said I'd probably have more kidney and bladder trouble than many Riders because of having the damage that temporarily stopped my voluntary use…. I'm to use the same medicines as the women, who get more cystitis, and to take regular diuretics" he pulled a face and shrugged. "Hey, I can shrug without it hurting in this contraption! I'm so glad to have the chance to be more mobile. It's more than I ever thought I would. Getting out to pee once or twice a night is a small price to pay."

Kit kissed him tenderly.

"I'll be scorched and seared if I'm going to take that fardling brace off again" she said, as he started exploring "You'll just have to creak."

He laughed and nibbled her ear.

"Not very romantic; but then nor is High Reaches llama wool long underwear!"

"Not so unromantic as freezing your wherewithal to crackdust" said Kit, exploring for herself.

The brace might creak; but H'gey found it wonderfully liberating in the amount of movement that he had!

He knew he must also remember Calla's injunction not to become too reliant on it, and let the brace take over the job of his own bones and muscles.

Just occasionally though it was good to taste what his own frame might one day be capable of without support….

The candidates had viewed the eggs for the second time when Kitiara bolted hurriedly out of the hatching cavern to throw up.

T'lana followed her out and H'gey hurried over with Brieth swooping along.

H'gey rubbed Kit's neck gently as she heaved.

"Oh crackdust, shards and scorched earth!" wept Kitiara "Don't say I've caught something just as hatching's so close!"

"Why, have you been feeling ill for a while?" asked T'lana "Not just a dodgy reheated meat roll?"

"Not all the time… I was a little queasy yesterday when I first got up…."

H'gey gasped.

Kit smote her forehead.

"Am I? Really? It's pretty soon…."

"All it takes is once" said T'lana dryly. "And if you were at the right time it can show within a couple of sevendays with morning sickness."

"WELL!" aid Kit "If I Impress I'll have no call to go _Between_ anyhow until after baby is born; and if I don't. I'll just have to not in the critical periods.

"Do – do you want our baby, love?" asked H'gey diffidently.

"Honestly? I guess if I'd thought about it I'd have taken herbs. But I don't want to get rid of it."

"It's not much yet" said T'lana "We don't count a baby as a baby until it kicks if you want to take a trip _Between_; and if you want to keep baby we'll all support you."

Kit shrugged.

"If I Impress, I don't know how long I'll be fertile" she said. "My mother and several of my older aunts have produced only one or two babies each so I guess as a family we're not very fertile to start off with. Grandfather and Benoria seem to defy the norm"

T'lana chuckled. At the last count, Lord Groghe had seventeen sons and as many daughters in and out of wedlock; at least he had not expected the long-suffering Benoria to bear more than about half of them, even though she fostered most.

"You'll foster of course?" H'gey asked.

Kit nodded.

"I thought 'd ask Allessa as she's experienced with children. Siselly and the drudges are none of them old enough for me to have much confidence in them. And I want to keep it in the Harper family."

"Let's go and ask her, shall we?" H'gey took his love's hand and helped her up now she was a better colour!

Allessa was delighted.

"I'd love to foster any Harper babies that come along" she said. "And I'll see that I put out some milk and a dry pastry for you each morning, Kitiara, that will help you get over the sickness.

"Will it?" Kit was doubtfull.

"Trust me" said Allessa firmly.

Kit nodded.

She intended to do so!

Ishelle was a little taken aback when Kitiara shared her news with the other girls.

"You're not taking it _Between_?" she asked "I'm sure someone would take you."

Kt shook her head.

"Babies are precious in a Weyr" she said "And I choose to keep my baby – unless it has other ideas. If I miscarry naturally, well, that's life. But H'gey's delighted, I'd not go hurting him by killing baby even though I know he'll stand by whatever decision I made. I'll foster of course; we're not all T'lana.

"Even T'lana shares her babies with a kind of fostering by Lanelly" said Jarla.

"Yes, but I wasn't planning on laying a whole clutch at a time like she does" said Kit rudely.

"Be careful not to tempt fate" grinned Jarla "You might end up with twins or triplets yourself in retribution from fate for being so rude about a Queenrider!"

"Wherry teeth" said Kit insouciantly. "Superstitious nonsense; fate don't care and nor does T'lana. Producing like her's as likely as drawing an inside straight at Bitra."

Meliandra laid a hand on Kitiara's shoulder.

"So long as you are happy in your pregnancy and happy with your man, we're all glad for your good luck in both" she said.

"Thanks Meliandra" Kit grinned. "A good man is like a good wine….part nurture of the vine, part nature in the maturing the fruit and the greatest part in the skill of the woman fermenting him."

Melinadra laughed.

"Thanks kid" she said "I understand."

She had opened out a great deal to accept Kitiara's message that love needed nurture, not just good sex!

The Harpergirls were also supportive, if in T'arla's case incredulous.

"Have you never heard of fennel and yarrow you dimglow?" she asked.

Kit stuck her tongue out.

"Never occurred to me to use them" she said "We never meant to get so physical so soon."

"They are effective after the act you know" said T'arla. "Me, I'm waiting….if I ever do decide to have brats at all. I'm none so maternal."

"Nor am I; it's why I'm fostering" retorted Kit. "But your L'gal has family he loves; H'gey has nobody. He can give a child or children the sort of childhood he never had. I don't suppose it's occurred to him, not in coherent thought, but I wager it's how he feels, deep down…."

T'arla's face softened and she brushed Kit's cheek with her knuckles.

"You're a good kid, Kit" she said gruffly. "Reckon you're one of the best things that ever happened to our H'gey. I'd like to smash his father's teeth down his throat."

"And come back to give more to his uncle" agreed Kitiara cheerfully. "No, T'arla, you stand in line; I get to do any teeth smashing for my weyrmate!"

They looked at each other and sighed.

"Nice thought. Pity we can't" Kit spoke for them both.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

R'gar and T'lan discussed the candidates as they were wont to do once they had all settled in.

"I can't help feeling that some of the best men among them are some of the girls" said T'lana.

"Yes, but somehow I don't see even T'bor being able to cope with Tyasha and Kit riding Bronzes" grinned R'gar to his weyrmate.

"No…but where you have couples like Shuba and Joana, supposing we ever get such a pair with a love of dragons and less…..well, gormless than poor Joana, I don't see why we shouldn't have girls Impressing Blues, if they're the dominant of a pair, even as the submissive homosexual boys Impress Greens."

R'gar was somewhat struck by that idea.

"It's an interesting concept" he said "I suppose I've never thought of it; until Shuba and Joana came to the weyr I'd never come across it."

T'lana shrugged.

"Probably because most girls of homosexual tendencies either get forced into marriage and wonder all their lives how anyone can enjoy sex; or become one of the unwed aunties caring for their siblings' children. And probably never even realising why the concept of marriage feels so WRONG to them."

"I suppose we accept marriage for girls as normal."

"And Green Rider boys being gay is normal too" retorted T'lana. "And how did YOU feel when you thought I was a boy? All wrong! And nor would you relish being given a good seeing to by some Blue Rider either; why should a gay woman find it any the less disturbing to be had by a straight man than a straight man to be had by a gay one?"

"I suppose that makes a deal of sense…I take your point. It IS a pity Joana's so scared of dragons that has inhibited Shuba; or we might have found out."

T'lana shrugged.

"There'll be others. News will spread. And it's not like we segregate the Green eggs, even though D're can see the colours, so all the dragonets have the chance to choose. I think it'll happen some day. Because we're prepared to encourage potential riders to be open minded; we get female riders because they're prepared to open their minds to Green dragons. I half hoped, you know, for a Green dragon, because they're female; maybe Mirrim resented boys getting Greens, deep down. I think it's at least partly a case of expectations. And Shuba's more manly than some lads her age in many ways; and she dresses to emphasise it now too. I guess some people just get born in the wrong bodies; like some dragons are sports, Mirrith not being able to decide at first if she was Green or Gold. And if we assume dominant gay girls are manly, as we assume submissive gay boys are ladylike we can't go far wrong."

"Though in Mirrith's case, both colours were at least female, and so were you."

"True. But you know what I mean, oh pedantic one!"

R'gar smiled lovingly at his mercurial little weyrmate.

"Getting back to subject – I'd not be at all surprised if most of the girls Impressed" said T'lana. "Not Zeya – she doesn't even want to be here! The rest? They're a good bunch, though Carinn's distinctly immature."

R'gar snorted.

"I'd rather see Sagarra Impressing! Even Felgarra!"

T'lana giggled. Sagarra was rising twelve and making noises about being nearly in age; but Felgarra was just two and a half turns old and a delightful little pickle who insisted on trying to do everything her big twin brothers did, galling for the manhood of boys who were rising four!

"At least she folds her clothes neatly at night and doesn't lose them" she said dryly. "I fancy Darel and his brother to Impress; they're steady. Browns or Bornzes I should wager."

"Leave the wagers to K'len" said R'gar lazily. "Did you hear how D're cleared out half of Telgar Weyr at their last hatching and donated it all to the childhold? Something over six hundred marks he had off assorted riders with careful side bets!"

"No! Excellent!" gloated T'lana. "That's another weyr that won't have him back!"

"Like he cares" said R'gar."

T'lana grinned.

"Who do YOU fancy to Impress Bronze?" she asked.

"Ah, now, I'm not falling into that trap! D're says there's three, which is a good average; I don't dislike your choice of the brothers there either. I like Callon – I don't think you know him? He's a genuinely happy child, good natured and willing and a slightly offbeat sense of humour. The steadier of those two older Harper Boys is a possibility – Toragar; our own two weyrbred, Keet and Belor have a chance too."

"Keet's the one who prefers boats to anything?"

"He loves dragons. I think he wanted a craft to make up if he didn't Impress; and figured that sailing was next best thing to flying. Think about V'gion or L'gani on the subject of how a boat seems almost alive."

T'lana nodded.

"That makes sense" she said "And it seems sensible to have a second string to one's bow, though T'rin finds his choice hard to understand when he's musical."

R'gar shrugged.

"V'gion doesn't; and the boy is apparently a competent sailor. Nobody stops a dragonrider pursuing a hobby so long as it doesn't interfere with his duties."

"True. He and Belor are very young though; do you think they'll Impress this time?"

R'gar shrugged.

"We've no real bad apples – even Dwissom's not a very effective bully – but we've an awful lot of, well nonentities" he said. "The youngsters I've named have a spark. There's another one too, Tarlin, he's a lot like our T'rin, nonchalant, a bit of a cynic, watches and waits. I like young Borint too, but I don't think he's quite got it to be a Bronze Rider. Closs is another outside chance, he was a drudge at Nabol, a stablehand; he asked to be taken on Search. And he's made himself useful with the runners here in the meantime….sound familiar?"

T'lana grinned.

Posing as a drudge at Nabol she had asked Vorth to take her when M'kel came on Search – though it had been Vorth's idea first! T'lana had a soft spot for the Blue dragon!

"What about the Holdless boy who just turned up? Sharet?" asked T'lana.

"I've my own thoughts about him – I'm reckoning he might be like to Impress a Green and came to us because we'd tolerate his preferences" said the Weyrlingmaster.

T'lana nodded. That made sense!

Well, as always they must wait and see if the game of second guessing the hatchlings bore fruit. R'gar usually had a shrewd idea who would Impress what colour however!

Kit was amusing herself to less real end than personal satisfaction by picking out the homosexual boys and dividing them into 'Green' and 'Blue' according to their level of femininity. The boy Sharet was already become the lover of a boy called Tarmo, a jockey's son from Northfork. They were the first to pair up, but they were also the oldest at seventeen and eighteen turns. Some boys were still fighting with their sexuality; with luck, if they Impressed, they would come to terms with it. Plenty of the boys were also making a play for the girls; and the dancing had facilitated that somewhat. It gave a relaxed social situation that ordinary drill did not; and allowed for less stilted meetings between boys and girls. Kit definitely thought that the practice of dancing as a means of fitness training should be kept up – even when the weather was not inclement, and planned to say as much to R'gar!

Darel seemed to have recovered from his previous girlfriend – he had in many respects recovered before even coming to the Weyr, but was at least now not off girls – and was busy courting shy Iaela. Kit had had Iaela's brother Borint asking searching questions about who this Darel was and whether he was a man of honour!

Several of the other boys had made tentative – or otherwise – openings; Kitiara had needed to get quite forceful with Dwissom, who seemed to think that in a weyr a weyrmate meant nothing; and she had almost lost the plot when a boy called Kegel was rambling on in his long winded style and almost found herself agreeing to sleep with him because she had resorted to answering 'yes' and 'no' at random.

He was a kind lad, and almost insanely brave when walking sweep; and he could put Kit to sleep by opening his mouth.

Kit reminded herself that you need be neither clever nor interesting to be a good man and a fine dragonrider – after all, look at V'ral! That Kit wronged V'ral, who was cleverer by far than he sounded was understandable; and she was not alone in thinking that Kegel was an improvement on the Blue Rider in that he could at least string together a coherent sentence! It was just that Kegel's sentences were BORING coherent sentences full of carefully closed parenthetic statements that he kept up with but nobody else but I'linne had a chance of so doing. And I'linne only managed by refusing to be beaten by someone else's linguistic idiosyncrasies! Doubtless Kegel felt more than he could manage to say – Kit HOPED he felt more than he managed to say – but even had she been heartfree he would have driven her half _Between_ with frustration! She took the expedient of passing him on to I'linne who was the only person not only capable of following him, but of talking the boy to a standstill. It was generally understood that I'linne was likely to end up with F'lim when she felt ready for love; in the meantime the other weyrling and candidate girls exploited her shamefully to deal with Kegel!

I'linne had been very supportive of Kit, the girl recalled, and had also asked some frank but pertinent questions about feeling ready and how to get halfway without going too far.

Kit had answered as best she might, having only her own experience; but F'lim was a good hearted lad and she did not think he would push I'linne further than she wanted to go!

In the meantime, none of the other girls but Iaela wanted to make even tentative alliances; and Iaela had not set out to do so! Darel's frank honesty and cheerful disposition had appealed to the girl; and the fact that he not only admired her work but was proud to speak up to the others about it, since she was too shy, had endeared him to her.

Meliandra might look a little rueful; for Darel was a good catch in terms of being a pleasant lad; but Kit thought the older girl would do better with somebody older, yet not so old as to recall her foster father; but in any case a settled, steady rider.

There would be plenty of time to matchmake yet, reflected Kit, wondering what D're's relatives were like. A cousin of his was married to Meliandra's next sister after all; and D're himself had brought stability to volatile L'rilly; and Meliandra was not nearly so volatile as she was said to have once been!

Besides, J'esha might have her own plans for her friend and cousin; it might be well to co-ordinate efforts! Kit felt it was so nice to be sorted out – if one DID Impress – so that the fact of one's dragon rising to mate would not be traumatic to contemplate. It was why I'linne wanted to move a bit further with F'lim after all. Although at her age, it was perfectly reasonable, indeed prudent, for I'linne to sequester herself as the youngest male Green Riders did; yet it did also make sense to get your dragon used to the dragon of someone you would not be averse to waking up beside in the future.

Kit grinned.

Everyone knew that Tyasha and T'han were going to be an item – except Tyasha and T'han! He would be back in the Weyr for good after the Hatching; Tragen and sundry relatives were coming to watch the Northfork candidates and would be returning with L'kar, who now could finally – according to R'gar's exasperated comment – be trusted to go _Between_ without fetching up on the dark side of Timor. L'kar also had a bound book of sketches by Geriana detailing the places he was most likely to need; High Reaches Hold, Nabol Hold, Northfork itself from several angles, the Seven Spindles and Highspire Hold.

"He can go Straight most other places he's likely to need to go from one or other of those points" R'gar growled.

L'kar was very grateful to Geriana.

He had a very poor visual memory; and the weyrartist had also taken time to try to help him to train it by playing a child's game of placing random objects on a tray to study, then covering it to get him to list and describe them. Poor at first, remembering only one or two from a dozen, L'kar could now manage as many as eight different objects! Geriana had advised him to remember five to eight distinctive features about everywhere he visited in the same way.

It was an improvement; and R'gar was as grateful to Geri as L'kar was!

Life in general was going very well; and Kit felt good!

Apart from the morning sickness.

But then, one must take the rough with the smooth; and as T'lana said in a High Reaches saying, 'who would dance must pay the Harper'!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

As the humming started early in the morning, Kitiara sat bolt upright in bed, turned faintly green, and took a large bit out of her sweet yeastpastry flavoured with cinnamon.

"I wish Brieth were big enough to fly you across" said H'gey as she scrambled into her white Impression tunic. It still had a faint stain of blood on one shoulder; it must have been Z'ira's last time! Kit took that as a good sign.

She kissed H'gey.

"T'arla's taking me" she said "F'lim and E'ledur are taking the boys between them."

E'ledur was not strictly speaking one of the Harperweyr, but as cousin to Lyseder and nephew of Allessa counted as an honorary member, as well as being F'lim's friend and clutchmate.

The sands of the hatching cavern were hot; and Kit grinned as ladies minced in their thin slippers. It was a point of honour that the candidates ignored the discomfort to their own bare feet, and however much one might wish to keep moving there was a certain principle in appearing unspeakably brave. The other girls were all about her, a dozen in all counting herself – a DOZEN?

Kit counted again. Twice.

There should have been eleven of them.

She peered at faces.

The lowered head with the secret smile….

"Mayana, you IMP!" she whispered.

Mayana grinned a little defiantly.

"If there's no dragon for me there's no dragon for me" she said "but I am of age and more. And I'm ready. And if I Impress they can't UNImpress me."

"Have you viewed the eggs?"

The younger girl nodded.

"I asked Daenilth if I might" she said.

Kit shrugged.

"If Daenilth let you she's got nothing against you standing" she said. "Keep your head down and stay in the middle of us."

Mayana beamed.

"THANKS Kitiara!" she said "I half wondered if you'd tell on me."

"I think if you feel ready you are" said Kitiara "And the eggs have had a chance to feel you; unfair on them to withdraw you."

Mayana grinned. Kitiara understood!

It was always considered a good sign when a Bronze hatched first; and the Weyr was buoyed up when the little creature stumbled right into the arms of weyrbred Belor, his little brown firelizard trilling encouragement!

Flute sat on Kitiara's shoulder also giving little trills of excitement.

Suddenly eggs were cracking all around; Kit noted a Brown for Darel, and the largest Green in the clutch falling into Tyasha's – T'asha's – arms. The little creature had no gold sheen, Kit did not think; perhaps she was just like Leviath, larger than average. A Brown like Firrianth would however have no trouble flying her!

Beside her Mayana – M'yana – was giggling into the neck of a dragonet saying,

"We showed them – we SHOWED them, Olveth, I KNEW you were waiting for me!"

There would be consternation amongst the child's relations of course; and someone like T'rin would smooth it over and get the child out of trouble by pointig out how much less embarrassing than having Impression in the tiers. It would not be High Reaches without some drama!

Some more drama was happening to Kit's left.

A dragonet seemed to be having trouble breaking out of its shell, the small green claw seeming somehow deformed.

Jarla heaved a sigh of irritation.

"I know I'm not supposed to help you, Ailyth, but what choice have I?"

"None at all" muttered Kit "If she already knows the dragonet's name she's Impressed already and so I will testify if anyone murmurs. Why, I believe the little creature has only three claws to each foot like some of the early carvings at Fort Hold!"

Kit was so intent on worrying about her friend's breaking of Ailyth's shell she was taken by surprise by the nudge in the small of her back.

She turned around; and knew that Idrith was so very hungry that it gnawed at her own guts!

"Oh darling, we must get out of here and feed you!" she gulped.

_"You weren't facing me"_ said Idrith.

"It was silly of me, wasn't it?" murmured Kit. "I'll always be here for you from now on! I'll always take care of you!"

Together they stumbled with the others to where R'gar and older weyrlings were handing out meat, coats and felt slippers, for it was still cold!

"K'iara" said R'gar "Well done. Once again we have girls who could have ridden Queens choosing to Impress Greens to give them a chance to ride and serve; and we at High Reaches appreciate it."

Kit – K'iara – blinked.

"Who could have ridden a Queen?" she asked.

"You; M'iandra and T'asha" said R'gar."along with plenty of those who have Impressed in earlier clutches. Unfortunately there aren't enough Queen eggs to go round; I for one think this is a good solution."

K'iara assimilated this.

"I guess so" she said. "I don't want to be a Queenrider in any case; Brieth couldn't fly a Queen. Dragons know what they're about I guess."

R'gar smiled.

"They do indeed, K'iara; they do indeed. And if we let them, they make us ecstatically happy."

T'lana's theory that dragons could sense _Between _ time to Impress with a candidate to cause the most happiness was not to be dismissed out of hand!

Once the ravening hunger of young dragonets had been assuaged, and the newly Impressed had had the chance to sleep it all off, they could start to find out who their clutchmates were.

K'iara was startled to find that all but two of the girls had Impressed, even diffident Ishelle. Sh'elle, as she had been dubbed, was a different girl in the light of the love of her beloved Dyanth!

It was no surprise that Zeya had nor Impressed; and the girl was eager to get back home. Carinn was bitterly disappointed and shed many tears to be without a dragon friend.

K'iara sought the little girl out, head buried in her bedclothes in the candidates' barracks.

"Carinn" she said "It doesn't mean you WON'T Impress you know. You're still very young for your age as well as very young in turns. Stay on and learn to grow up; we'll all help you, and stay your friends, you know!"

Carinn's tear stained face emerged.

"That Dwissom said I'd never Impress 'cos I'd only lose a dragon on the way back to the caverns and certainly if I ever went _Between_" she sobbed.

"DID he" said K'iara grimly. "I didn't see HIM with a dragon either."

Carinn gave a hiccoughing sob,

"He didn't Impress either; but he said his egg hasn't been shelled."

"My dear child – sorry, didn't mean to sound that patronising – Carinn, it's far more likely that YOUR egg isn't shelled than him being in waiting for one! You're a heedless little piece but you're a good hearted kiddie. Chin up; if Dwissom lasts his three goes without pissing off someone badly enough that he gets thrown out, I'll muck out Idrith with my tongue!"

Carinn managed a weak giggle.

"I'm the only girl who didn't" she said dolefully. "'Cos you can't count Zeya. And even one who wasn't on the list Impressed. And she's half a turn younger than me."

"And has been walking sweep any time the last three turns" said K'iara. "It develops a sense of responsibility you know. Cheer up kid – you'll get there! And you can help us all with our dragonets in the meantime for practice!"

"Oooh….may I really?"

"Certainly, speaking for myself. Though I can't say any girl with sense would turn down a spare pair of hands from time to time!" laughed K'iara "C'mon – meet our dragonets."

Carinn nodded and scrubbed up quickly, giving her tearstained face a desultory wipe on a grubby drying cloth.

She'd get dirtier helping with the dragonets, reflected K'iara.

For the girls the added bonus was the Impression of B'rint to Blue Bazlith; the boy had adopted all his sister's friends as honorary sisters, and if the older ones thought him merely rather sweet, the younger ones found him encouragingly protective!

The Harperweyr too had done well; all three of its new apprentices were now Impressed, T'gar to Brown Tancluwth; C'nar to Blue Naith; and even little K'bet to Blue Wyeth, to his sister's pride! K'bit was walking on air; music AND a dragon; it was almost more than he could take in!

"Though it puts paid to him training with Master Shonagar" grumbled T'rin.

"H'llon's pet logicator Holmes recorded himself playing a fiddle" said L'gal "Get H'llon to invent the device and play it to Master Shonagar. I guarantee he'll come here hotfoot for a few sevendays, inconvenience or no, to get K'bit started."

T'rin grinned.

"Elementary, my dear L'gal" he said.

L'gal cuffed him amicably.

If R'gar had laid marks on his choices for Brown and Bronze riders he would have cleaned up, as T'lana said.

As well as B'lor, T'lon and C'lon, once Tarlon and Callon, were Bronze Riders; the Browns were the brothers D'rel and Sh'mon, K'et – a surprise to both his mother and his Blue Rider father who did not think the boy would even Impress – C'oss and of course T'gar.

Nobody who had been watching them was surprised that Sh'ret Impressed a Green and his lover T'mo a Blue; any more than anyone was surprised that Stoffer was amongst the unImpressed.

Stoffer seemed quite unconcerned.

He seemed happy in his own little world whittling on offcuts of wood H'llon had found for him. What his creations were meant to be was not really apparent; he seemed to be emphasising and enhancing the grain. Still, the abstract shapes that emerged under his knife were pleasing enough; and, losing interest once they were finished, the boy was glad to take a few marks for those who felt his strange sculptures would enhance their weyrs.

At least he was causing no trouble.

H'llon said to T'bor,

"We can't send him into the rest of society. He's not capable of dealing with it. He's got as many needs as our various cripples if you ask me. If he tries to deal with ordinary folk he'll get into trouble and end up Holdless and that will kill him. He's mostly harmless – except to himself" H'llon had patched up the boy's various cuts, none of which seemed to teach him a thing " – and he doesn't seem to care. I say we keep him and treat him like he's away with the firelizards."

T'bor nodded.

"You've housed him near your woodhall, have you? I hate to ask you to be responsible for him…."

"I asked Elissa's parents if they'd foster him; they agreed. I CAN'T be responsible for him. I have my apprentices to put first, T'bor. But I'll keep half an eye on him; I hope that will do."

"Oh yes, certainly" said T'bor in heartfelt tones of thanks; for half an eye from H'llon was worth more than another promising to take responsibility!

All in all it had been a good hatching; the only dramas had been minor, and if many of the Blue Riders were, by R'gar's standards, a little mediocre, the higher colours and the women at least lived up to his hopes and expectations!

And K'iara was deliriously happy that Idrith and Brieth would one day be together as she and H'gey were!


End file.
